First Christmas Finish and Rug Punching!

I finally finished my candle mat and it is my first finish for the new year and my first piece for my Christmas box. The design can be found on Q is for Quilter along with a second holly design.

I used Finca #8 on the leaves and it really is a nice floss, stitches nicely and smoothly. When I finished I used walnut spray and it seems to have made it's own design in the middle.

I also started a rug, which a friend sent me for Christmas. It is a fun pattern and I thought it would be fun to try punching with it. I am not so sure about the punching, it is way too packed, especially on the cat. The wool is thick and a dark brown with specks of white and black in it, so it is a fun yarn, but maybe I need to take some rows out and see if that helps. I was thinking of doing the design in punch and the background in wool hooking, but not sure? My frame is not big enough to do punching all around, so it is either that or pull it all out and start over with wool and regular punching, which I am leaning towards.

The design is by American Pie Designs. I also think it would be easier with a smaller rug punch, mine are size 10 and I find it hard to punch and tiring after a while.

Friday Finish and Life with Bean!

It seems it takes longer and longer to finish things, these days. With only a month to go for gifts that get mailed, I cannot make one thing a week and get things done, ugh. The good thing is, Bean is having more calmer moments or moments that he plays by himself, that I will get more time to work on my projects as he gets older.

I found this design online, no idea where I got it. I printed it out and threw away the file without thinking and I cannot find it again, so if I do or if someone knows where it might be, I will share the website with you.

It was a fun design, but a lot of stitching. I used dmc floss on tea stained fabric, though it doesn't show well with the photo. Since this is more of a fun piece, I didn't add extra stain and will leave it, as is.

This week we have had some nice days, and the cooler weather makes for nice walks at the pond. Bean loved this walk. Wooded paths and no noises to scare him. He met a few people and dogs and as usual, he wanted to follow them. It is hard to get a nice photo of Bean, I get him in one spot, go to take the shot and he wants to jump up at me and the camera.

He seems to have a thing for the dishwasher, at least the dishes are already dirty;) He also likes to jump up to see what I am cooking and he really loves to share what I am eating. One of his favorite treats is apple slices. Today he watched me vacuum, he had no fear of the noise or the rug cleaner, but when I turned on the blender to make bread crumbs, he ran into the other room. He is also afraid of train whistles, he runs away from the sound. He also gets upset when we get near cars in the parking lot, but I have a suspicion that it might be because, he knows it is time to end our walks;) I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Make it Monday: Springtime Candle Mats

When I have time or need a rest, I love to browse blogs and find new designs that I can make and share with others. Last week I found two wonderful circle designs that were perfect for spring and you can make them too.

To make a candlemat, I trace the design on light colored fabrics and stitch with DMC floss. When it is finished, I use a clear plastic lid that is larger than the piece and trace the circle around the design. Then I mark off a half inch with dots around the circle and cut out along that line. This gives you sewing allowance and room to add an outer stitch. I also use a piece of batting and do the stitchery with that on,  it gives more definition and hides any stitches you need to carry.

The design for this mat can be found at Crafting With Jack. He actually has two, so you can make one for yourself and one for a friend, they make wonderful gifts.

On this piece I used tea stained muslin and Distress it. It was nice since I didn't water it down, but you do have to use more of it to get a bit of staining.

On this mat I used white Kona since I wanted to use a gold for the flowers. It was also stained with Distress it. I think I like this one the best, the colors show up nicely and the dragonfly is a nice little touch. You can find this design at Humming Needles.

This weekend my husband was sick and my daughter was home and I was sick and taking care of them, so we stayed in and rested. I got a bit bored so I decided to amuse myself, or should I say Izzy. She was so funny and when the birds flew away she was looking up and around for them.

Friday Finish .... Angel Candle Mat

This week I have been resting and getting ready for the holidays, but I always enjoy having a project to do at night. I saw this pattern in the book, Two-Hour Quilted Christmas Projects by Cheri Saffiote. It is an older book, but you can still get copies at a good price if you watch ebay. It is filled with a lot of wonderful projects and patterns that you can use as is, or remake into new ideas.

The pattern was more of a picture, not sure if it was an actual pattern, but I thought it would make a wonderful candle mat. The original has the vines done differently but I wanted the smaller type to fit a candle mat.

On this one, I used an outside light source, so it picked up the walnut stain.The actual piece is more blended with darker spots, which are showing up more.

Happy Birthday Christmas Giveaway!

I went through my box of goodies and here is the prize package that I picked out. I hope that you like it.
I wanted to keep the theme similar with the pillow and candle mat and you will also receive two balsam filled, mini pillows.

As an added bonus, I am letting you decide what you want me to add. I have lots of patterns that I no longer use. So, let me know as your entry, what type of item or item you would love to win. Quilting? Piecing or appliqué? Wool appliqué? Punch needle, rug hooking, cross stitch or embroidery? Or something I haven't mentioned, just give me a second choice in case it is an item I don't have.

The giveaway ends at 12 am, Friday the 29th. I will announce the winner on Saturday, so I can get your package out monday morning. I am sorry, but this has to be for US followers only. "To be entered, you must state what crafts you like to do, or you cannot be entered, this is my indication that you are entering the contest." 

This is for followers only, please do not follow just to enter the contest, but if you have found my blog and like what you see, you are welcome to be a new follower. I am hoping to have more quilting done in the new year and time to work on new designs and freebies. Hopefully I will have a few free christmas doodles in the coming weeks.

Yes, it was my birthday, it is over now, lol. I was fighting off the flu with the new meds and today I felt better and was able to catch up around the house. Baby Nick was here all day but my daughter helped when he was awake and I think he was sick too, since he slept the rest of the time.

Flower Garden Crazy Mat Progress!

This week I have been working on my wool crazy mat and the bird stitchery. I want to use the mat before summer is over and finally getting to the end. Once I finish the last wool appliques, I can add the stems and extra stitching. On the original they added a border, but I am just going to add a backing and do a blanket stitch around it.

I am trying to stay close to the colors they used and using what I have but hard to see the true colors and shades in the photo. The flash makes the colors come out too brassy and the blacks too light. I also find that they way I pieced the blocks made them smaller so I have to reduce some of the flowers to fit.

The pattern is by Primitive Gatherings and I think it will be a nice pattern to keep for the flowers and make smaller pieces with them.

The original also has a spider web, where the white daisy is. I turned it around and left it plain. I tried some pearl cotton on a couple of the flowers on the right, I like the thicker thread for the stems, what do you think? I found it at a yard sale and over dyed it so it is dark and light green shades.

Giveaway Goodie Sneak Peek!

For those of you who would like to make  your own candle mat, Tiffany has her website back online. She was away and didn't realize it was due, so now you can download the snowman design or any of her wonderful free designs. She also has some wonderful designs that are reasonably priced and great for all types of mediums.

One thing I wanted to mention, is that Tiffany is helping a friend who has stage 4 brain cancer. They are working on a bucket list and Tiffany needs help with expenses for their trips. If you would like to read more about Bonnie's story and the things that she has been able to do with Tiffany, you can visit their blog, Bonnie's Blessings to learn more. Her story will touch your heart.

Today I finished another candle mat, the winner can have their choice of the first one, or this one, I will let you decide. This one is more fun but more prim with the staining. The design is by Michelle Ridgeway Designs. You can find the freebie on her right side bar.

I had to clean out my wool bins and put the wool in boxes for now and I picked out some camel hair wool, that I hand dyed. It is a super soft wool that can be used in different types of projects. Also a mini halloween quilt, a christmas pillow and a candle. I will wait on the patterns after I choose a name, since some of you like to quilt, punch or stitch, I will customize those to your likes.

I also said that I would pick a name on Sunday. I will do that and then announce it on monday. I have not had the best week and still recovering, so I will take a break till Monday and see what else I can add to the box. I hate to send out a box that isn't full;) I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

If you would like to enter the contest, you have till Sunday night, 10pm EST. You must leave your comment at THIS POST to be entered. I have enjoyed reading your comments and I think I can say, done that, been there, lol.

Giveaway Week Continues!

Today I finished an item that will go into the giveaway box, I hope you like it. It is a design by Primitive Blessings and I made it into a candle mat. I decided to use wool for the noses and gave it a touch of antique spray but kept it lighter than usual on some. I just noticed that the site is gone, pending renewal, sure hope Tiffany hasn't quit designing.

Another item I finished was a stitchery I made, a few years ago. I used a darker tea stained fabric, then stitched it with a wool lana. I was not pleased with how it came out, hard to see the design in one way, but once I made it into a pillow, I liked it better. What do you think, should I add this to the box, would you like it? I reproduced it from an old fraktur and hope to do more new patterns in the future.

If you would like to be entered into the giveaway, leave a comment on this POST!

I have been getting things done around the house and cooking. I want to find things I can eat and make ahead of time and this time I tried a banana/pineapple cake and added my cookies with butter as a crumble topping. It wasn't bad and it was really good with strawberry ice cream on top, lol. In the summer or when I am sick, I treat myself to Bryers strawberry, it is all natural and a little sugar once in a while, won't kill me. Now I need to think of ways to moisten the cake and make it more of a snack cake that I can take on trips or a treat when we kayak. I am thinking this would be a nice cake to make strawberry shortcake with.

Flower Candle Mat!

I finished my candle mat, it took longer than I thought it would, but well worth the effort. I got the design from Dover Publishing. They send email once a week with free samples, so well worth signing up.

I used some of my variegated floss for the flowers and a solid green for the leaves. To make the circle, I use an old plastic lid and trace around it with a wash out blue marker. I added some yellow french knots to the centers to give it a little extra pop. I decided to antique it, I think it looks nice on my firkin, but it will probably be a gift.

And here is a shot to show you the design and details. I still have the design, so if you would like a copy, just send me an email.

This is a bit light and pink, but I lightened it, so  you could see the detail better.

Dying Floss and New Project!

Yes, I said new project. I get the newsletter from Dover Publishing and every week they send free samples and this one was perfect for a candle mat. I wanted to make it as a gift for my daughter, but I didn't get it done in time, so we shall see what I do with it, after I finish it.

I wanted to try brighter colors for her and I do love the way my hand dyed pink, looks in this piece. You can see where the shades go from dark to light on the flowers. The green is a solid, so I need to over dye some green for future projects.

And, here is the floss that I used for the pink that is in the flowers. That is, the floss before I over dyed it. The beauty of using this floss is that it comes in a package and it is cheap. With a coupon, it saves a lot of money and perfect for over dying.

I usually soak it in tea or walnut, but I thought I would wet the floss and then use walnut spray. It was easier and faster, but it didn't saturate into the middle sections, as well. But, it still came out nice, now I have various shades in dark and bright, so it will be fun to see how this would look in a punch needle piece.

The photo is a bit darker than the actual floss, but you can see how it went from bright to prim with a bit of walnut ink. You can soak it overnight in walnut and then sun dry it, now that it is getting warmer.
If you do not have walnut you can use tea or coffee, but remember that the acids in tea can destroy cross stitch pieces, over time.

Bunny Candle Mat from a Freebie!

There are a lot of places to find free designs on the web and one that I visit often is Flickr from Yahoo. There are a few groups that offer free designs and if you do a search, check out Vintage Embroidery Patterns, where you can find this wonderful design.

I made mine into a candle mat and antiqued it, perfect for a quick project for Easter. I used a round plastic lid that was a big larger than the design and traced the circle onto white muslin with a blue washable marker. I centered the design into the circle and traced it with my light box.

This week I wanted to get out and went to my favorite consignment store. They sell items at thrift prices for a lot of things and always fun to see what goodies they have. I haven't had time to make any rabbits of my own, so this one was perfect to sit on the chest. I love the raggy clothes and the baby bunnies she is holding in old cutter quilts. The kitties I found in a bag and there is another white one, but not prim. Two are signed and one is from Bucks County, so had to get them, at least for the prim two.

The only thing I didn't like on the bunny was her pink feet, so maybe I will antique them;) The kitty on the right says D. Paumen, or Pallmen, anyone you know?

Easter Candle Mat and Winners!

I decided to try an Easter mat and use one of my patterns for the center design. The bunny is from my Spring Flock pattern. I am having fun trying different designs to see what I like and how well they look together. I think I might like this one better with the leaves on the inside and the feather on the outside?

I picked two names, each person will receive a gift certificate number which they can use at the Quilt Show. The winners are..... Cindy and Anna! Email me and I will send you, your numbers. Thank you for joining in and I always love feedback.

Valentine Candle Mat and Giveaway Day!

I wanted to make a candle mat and wanted something simple, but nice, so I designed my own. I did a simple stem design with some hearts and I think it came out nicely. I am trying another one and plan on making more and trying some new designs.

For today's giveaway, I have two 6 month gift certificates for the Quilt Show. I will pick two names from today's comments. I would like to know what you think of my new design, do you like them simple or more detailed and what types of designs would you like to see in the future? Would you want a single pattern to print out or a detailed pattern with instructions? I will leave the contest open until Monday night, the 21'st at 9pm EST.

New Camera!

My new camera came today and I was thrilled. He even gave the battery and charger with it, so I was happy. Then I realized it didn't have a card, not so thrilled, especially when I saw the prices. But, I did have my old camera and yes, it is the same kind of card, so I have a memory card. Now I am all set and took some practice shots. But wait, how do I get the photos in, no computer cord, ugh. But, luckily my minolta uses the same size cord too, so I could put them in. Found out my Mac is too old to upload any software to use it. So I hooked it up to my Dell and it went right in without any drivers, but I prefer to use my mac since that has photoshop. Guess a new Macbook is on my wish list;)

The camera is really complicated, way too many buttons, but I was able to download a pdf manual. It is also heavy, so I will probably have to use a tripod to get good photos indoors, all my shots came out blurry. I also don't see a flash, no idea where that is, have a feeling I have to buy one to mount on top. But for free, I am not complaining, will just have to save up for extras.

I stole this photo off the web, this is what it looks like, reall

y large double lens, which adds to the weight. I couldn't even figure out where the zoom was, guess I have a lot of reading to do;)

I definitely won't be taking this out in the kayak, glad I got the pocket waterproof camera. I think I need to make a sling pocket for it, so when I go hiking at the sanctuaries, I can carry it without the band choking my neck.

This is the best photo I could get today. It is an older piece that I have in the house. The sun has been fading the edge. I did have to put it through photoshop, but I got better and more true colors and this was on a low setting. At least now, you can see more detail and the patterns of the wool, so I hope I can figure this out and get some better shots of my pieces.

Today I worked more on my hexagons, hand stitching the inside of each hexagon, but on the outer edges now, so hopefully I will have it done tomorrow.

Still Sick but Busy

This is the longest flu, I have had. But, on the bright side, if it is the swine flu, I can relax and not worry the rest of the winter;)
I have been working on a punched project for a special friend and today I made a teeny tiny stocking for a group challenge we were doing today. I think it took me longer to stitch this, then to punch one;) The pattern was in an old issue of good housekeeping. It is two inches long, so I will add it to a christmas doll display.



I have also been blessed with good friends who send me special presents, just because they are nice.Lori sent me a wonderful package today. I love the pumpkin and mat she made for me. The picture is in my kitchen, but I have it on my apothecary box, which it is perfect for. I also won prizes this week, I have no idea where that luck is coming from, never had it before, lol. So, when I receive the gifts, I will share them with you. Since I have been blessed so much this week, I will be having a contest this week. A little hint, it is a signed copy;) So, keep your eyes open for the contest.

Angel Candle Mat

This week I have been fighting off another flu. I think I am a flu magnet, and since I am allergic to the shots, I have to put up with them. I have been busy making new items for christmas, so of course I cannot show you them, since they are presents and surprises.

Last week I made a prim candle mat for a fellow prim lover's birthday. I really love making gifts for my friends.This penny rug was inspired by a gravestone design. I really love how it came out, really dark and prim. I plan on spending my time this season working on gifts and creating new ideas, so I will be getting back into patterns after the holidays.

I have found out that Dora is a bully. She loves tormenting my sons cat, and they spend their time chasing each other up and down the stairs. Hopefully Dora will get over her jealousy and let the kitty upstairs.