Friday Freebie and Winner!

Thank you all for entering my contest, it was fun reading the comments and quips. The winner of a free pattern is Kim Budash! Congratulations Kim, you can pick any pattern from my E-Crater store and email me with your choice.

For everyone else, I thought I would offer my newest idea as a freebie. I wanted to try a technique with Press and Seal and I have been wanting to make something as a gift that I can give to members of our choir, especially the ones who sang at Dani's funeral and I thought this would be a wonderful gift for them.

As for the press and seal, I liked it in one way and not in others. I found sewing through it, hard with the larger needle that I use for pearl cotton. It stayed on but the lettering faded as I went and I used a black art pen on dark wool, so I am sure that didn't help either.

This is how it looked with the stitching on the Press and Seal.

It pulled off fairly, easily but then I had to get around those small letters, that was not easy. I pulled and the stitches pulled so it messed a few up. Then I realized it would be easier to clip as much as I could and that made it easier to pull out the pieces between the stitching. Once I got going, it went faster. I also messed up on some spacing, and I guess it shifted a bit, the design is not perfect and I had a hard time following lines with the chain stitch.

I took out some of the stitches on the wing and fixed it up a bit. I cut out a second piece of wool and a piece of batting cut smaller than the design and blanket stitched them together. Then I added some leaves and red balls. I used pearl cotton through the top and put the leaves on top of that.

This is how it came out. I am not thrilled with this one, the wings are a mess and I think the lettering needs to be lighter? You can also add a bell to the bottom, this one is rusty but I may use new ones for choir gifts. What I want to do is try another but make it neater and not so prim, as the gifts.

Here is the pattern I used, you may use it for yourself or as gifts. All I ask is, if you come up with a better look, please share. I really wanted to make something special and I think this is a wonderful idea as a gift so please share you pieces with us and better ideas to make nicer lettering.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, filled with joy and adventures.

The bell is 5 1/2" long, but you can make it as small or large as you want. I think this would be nice in a larger version to put on the wall.

Monday Woolies!

Another weekend with snow and more coming in tomorrow. I don't mind the snow, but the bitter cold and winds make it impossible to stay outside for long. The good thing about being stuck in the house is, I can work on projects.

I decided it was time to make a mitten pattern called Flaky Blake by The Teacher's Pet. I really had fun making it and love how it came out. I am thinking it is something that I would like to make more of, and change it up a bit and do it in different colors. This mitten is large so you can put christmas greens in it and hang it on a hook or a door knob. I think smaller ones would be fun to do on a line with mini clothespins.

I added a few touches of my own, the buttons on the tongues and using buttons on the snowman instead of stitchery. The wool is very loose and stretchy so stitching snowflakes on it was impossible, I guess I need to use fusible on projects like this.

My other project is month two in Buttermilk Basin's free BOM on Facebook. I had one idea and ended up using different wools, now I am debating on whether I like it. It looks better in person but the heavy pearl cotton on the leaves seems to throw it off. It is floss that I had over dyed so a light green but looks more white in the photo. I used a chain stitch on the large flower for an added touch. So, I will relook at it tomorrow and try and take a photo outside when the snow stops. I do think I will take out the light green and find something more subtle. The background fabric is a yellowed woolie flannel.

Friday Finish!

Yesterday I decided to try another  tea towel. I used a design by Buttermilk basin so I could make a fall towel for next month. I reduced the design by 20% to fit the towel and sewed it one with a blanket stitch. One thing I am noticing is the towels are bright white, so I might try tea staining one to see how I like it, then I can do some with primitive stitcheries with christmas designs as gifts.

The towels are Aunt Martha's and with a coupon, well worth getting and easy to work on. I might just stain this one with tea, might give it a more prim look. The wool is prim, but I have to lighten it, so you can see the details.

Flower Mat Finished!

I finally finished my wool mat, though I took a few short cuts to make it go faster and get it done. I did not add the bugs or spider web, I just wanted a flower piece for my table. The problem is, it doesn't look good on my table so I need to find a place for it or maybe it will be a gift.

I finished it off by adding a linen backing and a blanket stitch. The original was done with a nice edge, but I am too lazy to make a binding.

Not perfect, but not bad. Pattern is Flower Garden Crazy, by Primitive Gatherings.

For the back, I used a linen that has the feel of wool. I found it in a thrift shop and I thought it would be nice for a backing. I cut out the design and left about a half inch of excess so I could tuck it under and keep a nice edge on the back. I pinned it and turned the edge under as I did the blanket stitch, not perfect, but not bad;) The crooked edge came about when I did the stems, I was a bit tight on the stitching.

Wool Flower Mat!

First a reminder, the giveaway for a Shabby Apple dress is still going on until friday, so if you have not commented, visit the blog post and leave a comment there. If the dress is not for you, maybe something you could give to your daughter or a friend?

I started a new piece, a wool mat for my table, or maybe a gift, haven't decided yet. It was raining all afternoon so I had to take a flash photo, bad idea with wool pieces, but you can see my progress so far. I am not following the pattern, I could not figure it out and i know my pieces are off, but it is a nice project to work on while I watch tv and relax. I do the basic stitching first, then I will add the stems and details later.

We had a lot of rain and then a lot of humidity, perfect for my flowers outside. I grew Cosmos to attract butterflies. This is the first time I have grown flowers from seeds and they have grown so tall and beautifully.

It was so hot this weekend, that I got sick from paddling, too much hot sun. We paddled to the beach and I jumped in the water. Most of the time I sat in the water or under the umbrella and waited for a breeze to kick in so I could paddle back without killing myself. This weekend will be nice and cooler, so hopefully I can get  some good paddling in.

Baby Quilt: Tumbler and Stars!

I decided to make a quilt from the scraps that I had from the first quilt and the curtains I am working on. I am still working on the curtains, I made a mess, so now I have to think it over and decide a better way to do them or just make a topper and buy solid curtains to match;)

This one I used the baby tumbler die to cut, makes it easier to cut them out, but it does waste a bit of fabric. Great though for scraps since you just need sizes that fit the dies.

This is the fabric that I won from Henry Glass Fabrics, they really sent me a lot. I still have the green shades that I can use for another quilt, plus a yard of print and one with rows of animals that I will use for the curtain tops.

I wanted to add a little touch and saw a quilt that had stars with circles in them, so I made my own starts and fussy cut the circles to add a little fun to the quilt. I used fusible on them, then a blanket stitch by machine. I also used a variegated blue thread, so on some spots it looks like there is no stitching, not a good idea to use lights on light if you want it to show;)

Then I decided I wanted stitches that were larger and fun, so I am hand stitching the tumbler blocks. It is taking me longer, but I am on the second half, so I should have that finished tomorrow. I would like to do star stitching on the borders, and I also think embroidery would be cute, but would take longer. I am hoping to have it done by sunday, we shall see.

Here is a sneak peak, not the best piecing or stitching, but I am sure he won't mind that Grandma isn't perfect.

Little Chick Pillow!

Today I finished a pillow with the spring chick design that I won from Stacy of Buttermilk Basin. It is a fun design to do and since it is longer, I reduced it a bit to make a pillow to put in front of one of my wood boxes.

For this piece I used a white muslim and then antiqued it. I also added a little extra stitching and outlines, then I did a blanket stitch around the outer edge of the pillow.

I am not sure, but I think the new batting is causing the stains to pool in one spot.

And her is the back, I used a green  homespun and  you can see how the stain pooled in spots.

Little Chick Mat!

I was thrilled to get my giveaway gifts this week, just in time for the holidays. My husband is going to help my son with the electrical wiring in his new room, so I thought I would make them a little gift for their new home. I used the wools that Stacy, of Buttermilk Basin, sent me for the pattern and my own wools for the backgrounds. The kids like new and bright things, so no dark fabrics or aging on this one.

The piece was small, so I added a larger background so they can use it on a little table. The blanket stitch was done in gold, but of course the flash made everything look brighter and shiny. I thought the white wool with the flecks of pink and blue were perfect for this project.

Winter Penny Rug!

Today I finished a new piece for next year. I will be working on Christmas all year long, so I can make all the pieces that I never got to, this year. I will also be finishing some projects and quilting some tops, so hopefully I can get it all done. I also want to make a quilt for a new Grandson who will be arriving in May.

This piece was made with a design by Buttermilk Basin. The original design has tongues on the sides, but I decided to leave mine out and blanket stitch, in cream floss, around the edge. I will be using it as a wall hanging instead of a table mat.

One thing I love about winter is the snow, especially when we get just enough and it stays on the ground. Bill was taking photos of me while I was out getting some exercise. I dress for warmth, definitely not fashion, lol.

Winners and Gourdy's Gang!

Today I finished my Gourdy's Gang. I won the pattern from Brenda of Pumpkin Patch Primitives. I won it a few years ago and I finally made it and so glad I did. It was fun and it made me smile as I worked on it.

Of course I made a few changes, such as the top pumpkin was a one eyed pumpkin and I gave it two. I also used yarn for his stem, by making a twisted cord with Boucle yarn and then stitching it onto the piece. I used a loose weave wool for the background and that enabled me to use pearl cotton for the webs and yarn for the spiders legs. When I finished the piece, I used a heavy weight fusible, then put the backing on and fused it all together, then cut both peices at once to get even edges. The fusible made it easier to cut the back with the front and held the pieces together while I did the blanket stitch on the edge. The edge was done with an over dyed pearl cotton.

I lightened the photo, so you could see the details better, so the colors are a bit brighter than they actually are.

And now onto the winners! The first right answer came from Fiona, who said it was Bill and she was right. We both laughed at your answers, some were funny when you think about it, calling Bill a whale, especially, lol. For the second winner, #20 who was Dawn. Congratulations ladies, pick any epattern that you would like and email me with your choice. For those who asked and wondered about my mermaid dog, I did not make that, it was sitting like that on the beach, well maybe not with glasses;)

Voting is Open!

I thought I would add a new post for the voting. There are a lot of wonderful pieces, so enjoy the photos and vote for your favorite. I truly believe that you should vote for your favorites, not to vote for me, if I ask, I don't find that fair.

My favorite is the kitty house and the ocean piece.
You can see the entries and vote at Stumbles and Stitches.

Here is another photo of the mat in a new setting.
I really think I need to switch those two stars, it is really bugging me, lol.

I haven't been feeling great this weekend, so hard to get a steady shot.

Cardinals and Puppies... Free Patterns!

I found a new blog and she has some wonderful tutorials and templates that you can make for yourself or as gifts. The site Apine Industriose has some english, but you will have to figure out the patterns by yourself, but most are simple and easy to follow along with the templates and the color photo. I am not sure if I did the cardinal the right way, but my gusset didn't make sense, so i cut it down a bit. I made a few changes and added wings to mine. I have decided to put some cardinals and other winter birds, around the house for a simple decoration. We are getting siding put on and they bang all day, so I had to take things off the walls and the house is a mess. The birds are something simple I can make and enjoy without having to worry about them breaking.

I also found the puppy template and instructions on her site. Just click on the link for animali and it is on the first pages. It is a site, well worth browsing around and clicking on the links, lots of goodies to make. The puppies have magnets in them, so a good idea for gift giving too.

Birds and Braids!

I found this free pattern on Wee Folk Art and thought it would be a fun and fast project. I wanted to use it as a holder for my crushed pine, so instead of stuffing it, I used batting and sewing the crushed pine into the batting. That way I could blanket stitch the piece, without the pine, falling out.

I need rugs and the hooked rugs are getting destroyed by the animals, so I looked online for some new rugs. I did find some I liked, but then I thought, I can make braided rugs, why buy one, lol. Soooo, I got the one I started, and went back to work on it. I use my scrap, heavier wools on braided rugs, so the colors are dependent on what I have. I am trying to keep the blacks and darks mixed in, but pops of color always look nice on a braided rug. I was planning on using it in the living room, not sure yet, but it will be put to use somewhere. Braided rugs are great for obnoxious kitties. Moki loves the one by the back door, he rolls in it, rolls it up and snuggles in it. Now he is inspecting the new one and finding it to his liking;)

Christmas quilt!

Did everyone follow the Henry Glass blog hop? If you missed it, you missed some wonderful patterns for Christmas, but you can still visit the sites and get their patterns. I loved the piece by Little Quilts, a fun redwork piece that would make a nice gift for a friend. Of course I didn't follow the directions and went off on my own, as usual, lol. I am just too lazy to piece those wonderful triangles she made on the original, so I just made mine simple and added some words.

I also made some little penny ornaments with some snowflake designs from my Fa la la la Felt book. I liked the snowflake designs, but now that I see the original pattern I took it from, I might have to make those next;) I used a different blue pen and it does not come out easily, as you can see on these. On the quilt it came out blue too, but I rewashed it and it came out clean, after I dried it. There is no name on it and it was a gift.

Kitties and Foxes!

Last winter I was lucky enough to win one of Lark Crafts giveaways. I won a calendar with patterns and a lot of wonderful felt. I also won the Fa la la Felt book and was thrilled since it has lots of fun designs and things to make for the holidays. I finally got to make some of the cute penny ornaments and did the kitties and foxes. For now I left them as they are, and later I will either keep them as ornaments, or maybe add them to something. The book also has some christmas trees to make, so lots of fun things i can make as gifts for others. The originals are in felt, but I decide to use wool and make them into pennies, so mine are slightly different. They were fun to make and love how they came out.

Wool Penny Ornament!

I decided to make some more snowman ornaments, but I used wool this time.
I cut them out free hand, so they are a bit wonky, but that is the fun of prim.
After I sewed the penny together, I cut a slit in the back and put some crushed pine in them, so now they smell like a fresh pine tree. I thought it would be nice to put in a christmas card, hopefully they will fit;)

I ordered the pine from Paine Products. They were easy to order from and fast delivery. The ornament pattern can be found Here! I used a paintbrush and watered down walnut spray to soak into the stitchery and darken the batting. To cover the slit in the back, I added a double penny with a stitched snowflake in the middle.

Moki has been enjoying the nice weather, nothing like the sun to keep him content.

Christmas Decorating: Zero Dollars

I am one of those, that starts pulling the Christmas decorations out, the day after Thanksgiving.
Sadly, I cannot put up my big tree with all my collectible cat ornaments, because of two very obnoxious kitties.
Yesterday I washed my big penny mats and put them back in place along with a few new decorations and this morning they were all over the place. I could hear Dora and izzy all night, racing through the house, flying across the tables and knocking down everything in their path.

So, for this year, I am doing more decorating on higher areas and walls, but I am sure the girls will find a way to get to them too;)
I seriously need to start making things for me, in January. At this time in the season, I am busy making presents so no time for me or sales. I hate to make things too early, things and tastes change, so who knows what new patterns and ideas, I might have next year.

I decided to take out things I had and redo them a bit, for now. I had an old wreath with the ugly bright velvet bows, so I took those off and added homespun and a couple of kitties. I like to keep them simple, then next year I can put something new on, no glue, I just stick them on. Scrap fabric and handmade kitties on an old wreath; Zero dollars.



The second spot I did up was the top of my tv unit. I used the wood planter I got and added fresh greens from my neighbors pines, shhhhh;) Then I cut some red berries from my other neighbors wire fence. They are all over grown and i am just trimming them for them;) A candle holder and my red glass angels and a new look for zero dollars.

I have some other things I am doing and will share my cheap and free decorating with you, through the coming month.
I will also share ideas where I can. As for the kitties, I used a basic shape and heavy cotton ticking. One I sewed inside out and turned, the other I sewed from the outside to give it a rough edge. I like the rough edge best. Then I used floss to make a face and stained with walnut ink. You can make simple cutouts like these from cookie cutter shapes and sew wrong sides together. Leave about a half inch to the edge and after stuffing, use your scissors and rub the edge. This will pull the loose threads out and leave the remaining threads raggedy.

Church Dolls

This is something I have been wanting to make for a friend and I finally did it this week.
I got the original idea for an older issue of Create and Decorate and then ended up drawing my own church and redoing the dolls.
It was a lot of fun to make and I would like to do more, but make my own version and style, next time.

The picture is horrid as usual. The background fabric is a vintage looking green cloth, but shows yellow.

Owl Bookmarks

I didn't feel like thinking too much, so went exploring on the web and found the neatest site with tutorials.
One thing I wanted to make was their owl bookmarks. Very easy, wool and blanket stitch. I changed the eyes to buttons and messed up my placements, but what else is new;) I still have to add something to the long part, might stitch the recipients name going down. I thought it best to show them before I do that;)

If you would like to make some yourself or find some other great ideas for gift giving, check out Wee Folk Art. There are lots of tutorials and I love the eye glass case with the birds. Now I need to practice up on my stitching. I would also like to use yarns and pearl cottons, but they do not go through the fabrics with the big needles I have. I would love suggestions on how other's use larger threads in their pieces. I have done couching, but i want to be able to sew it into the fabric.