Friday Finish!

This week I finished one small project and about to finish a few more projects. I always like to have one small to do during the week and found a small simple one. A friend sent me a box of goodies last year and I had forgotten that it had kits in it, so I decided to make the little heart pin cushion.

After I made it, I decided to turn it into a lavender sachet, I really do need a lot of those. I am putting one in every box of supplies and also drawers, as well as books, the lavender keeps the musty smell away and it seems to keep the moths away, as well.

Nothing fancy, but fun and relaxing to make.

I also finished the second snowman pillow top. I was all ready to finish them, I added a border, then I noticed how crooked they were. So now I am trying to figure out if I need to redo the outer stitching, or cut more of the main piece, to follow the lines better. I am not sure if the lines are straight on any part, so I may just redo the bottom stitching and leave it as is, what do you think? I am waiting for my brain to work better, before I redo it.

We also got out last weekend, visited some new places, but no eagles. But, I did hit the jackpot with cemeteries, two old ones with a lot of unique stones, so I may just do a booklet and add some sayings and local folklore. I really got a good workout, between hiking and walking up and down hills, along with deep knee bends for better photos. It took a few days for my legs to recover, lol.

We also stopped at local waterfalls,  I love trying the Bulb feature to slow down the water's motion. I don't use a tripod, so I can only do a quick burst, but I was pleased with how this one came out. And if you notice the rocky outcropping, it reminds me of a dog with a stick in it's mouth.

And today I got a nice surprise, a belated Christmas box from my friend. She sent me some fun nautical decorations and made me this wonderful cross stitch piece. I always treasure the things my friends make me.

It looks like a storm is heading our way, so we may not get out as much, but I have been reorganizing and cleaning and today I made a lot of progress, so I can finally move my furniture around in my sewing room, to make it more functional. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stay safe if you are in the storm's path.

Friday Finishes!

This week I was able to work on a few fall pieces. I got last years issues from Punch Needle and Primitive Stitchery. It is nice that you can get back issues at a reduced cost and be able to store them on my computer, instead of finding new spaces for magazines. And I don't have to dust them.

One of the patterns I liked was by Teresa Kogut. This was a fun and simple piece to do and I could use up some scraps. I wish I could figure out how to get better photos, this one I like more in person, than the photo. I did antique it, so it is with brighter colors, but all dulled down with walnut stain.

Another piece I made was a stitchery with a design by Kelley Belfast. I joined a new facebook group called Uncounted Cross stitch. Perfect for someone like me, who cannot count tiny stitches. I traced the design on with a washable marker and filled in, the best that I could. I missed a few holes, and I know I went over the same stitches in some places, but it was fun to try and relaxing, since I didn't have to be perfect.

I made black facial features and realized I couldn't make a black cat, so I did white around the face and then ended up using a dark shade, so that is why he has a weird face, lol. This was on 32 count, I think if I do it again, I will use a 14 count.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Last weekend we did get out, but the foliage isn't peaking yet. We did get to see a bit of color and explored some new areas for fun. Hopefully we can get further out this weekend and find some foliage.

I also love to find old towns with mills and churches, so I will be on the hunt for some new towns, we haven't been in. I also need to remember not to move when I press the shutter, my photos always come out crooked and it makes it tough when I am doing close ups of churches.

Nativity Cross Stitch Freebie!

I took one of the designs that I made, and converted it into a cross stitch. I changed a few things and added a bird to this one. It actually took me awhile since Bean has a tendency to want to get in my lap when I am on the computer and then he hits the keys and messes up the design, so I have to redo things.

I hope you like it and I enjoy working with my cross stitch program so I can get better at designing things for the cross stitch lovers. If you make a piece, from any of my designs, I would love to see it. I used colors so you could see the design better, so no set colors, just ones I grabbed from the color picker.

Yesterday was a beautiful day, so we went for a walk at a local trail that leads to the bay. I left my good camera at home since the seals are too far away to get nice shots. What I didn't know was that I would find seals basking on a rock, close to the shoreline. I will not leave my camera at home, in the future. I had to use my pocket camera on zoom so not the best shot.

Bean Loved the walk, he met lots of people and dogs and jumped on lots of people and dogs, lol. He gets so excited on walks, and he loved running on the beach and digging holes in the sand.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and are blessed with friends and family at your tables. We will have our daughter but my DIL is still mad at me, so they are not coming. I want to thank everyone again for the well wishes and blessings, it warms my heart to know I have so many friends around the world.

Freebie Friday!

I haven't finished anything this week, fighting off another flu and working a bit at a time, on different projects to keep my hands busy.

Today I decided to do a Spring freebie. I think we are all sick of the snow and rain, and are looking forward to spring.

I made up a cross stitch for you to use. It is a modified version of an antique design and perfect for spring. I added words that you can add, but you can put anything you would like. The program told me that I could not give out the pattern if I use their text, so I just used photo shop to add it afterwards. I just used basic colors and black to define the areas.

The design is done for 18 count, so you can make it larger or smaller with a different count of your choice, just have fun.

And for those of you who do not do cross stitch, I have a sketch that you can use for stitchery. You can also do it in punch needle or any medium that you like. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Free Valentine Cross Stitch Pattern!

I was playing around with my card design and thought it would be a nice cross stitch pattern. This is free to use and you can change it around if you would like for your own use. Nothing fancy, but I think this would look nice on a heart shape or a pillow to hang on a peg rack.

The design is done on 18 count, basic colors were used but you could use variegated colors to give it more movement. I hope you enjoy making the design and would love to see your finished pieces.

I also doodled on the drawing and colored it in for those of you who would like to make an appliqué or stitchery from the design.

Oldies but Goodies!

I am working on a new project that I got from a freebie, so nothing to show yet.
I took some photos of a couple of items that I made years ago and hope  you enjoy seeing them.
I had to do these without flash to reduce the glare, so they colors are a bit yellowed.

This is a cross stitch that I made about 30 years ago, when I could still see well, lol. I still love this piece as much now, as when I made it and hangs on my bedroom wall.

These are two of the first frakturs, that I ever made. One is for my wedding date and the other is when we bought our home.

And this is an item I bought about 20 years ago. I love to collect unique cat items and couldn't resist this one. I am thinking of using the design as an idea for an art quilt.

Free Halloween Cross Stitch!

This hasn't been my month, I got the bad cold that is going around, so it is mostly resting for me. I have been working a little on my stitcheries, so hopefully I will have more done in a few days. I thought I would do up a little cross stitch to share with my visitors, and hope you like it. Usually I draw a design and then put it in the cross stitch maker which is easier. This time I drew it onto the cross stitch maker and redid things over and over until I got a design I could live with, lol.

Just a little something to have fun with, you can change it up, if you want or do it in stitchery or punch it, it is free use. I just use colors from the picker, so just use your favorite colors and I think it would look nicer with variegated threads for the pumpkins.

If you like to do wool appliqué, visit Wee Folk Art, she has a wonderful halloween kitty to do in appliqué.

Curiouser and Curiouser!

I don't know what is sillier, my collection of cats or my real kitties.
Moki seems to spend half of his time at the sink, either drinking or washing and sometimes just playing.
Today he decided he needed a bath.

And I redid the photo I lost. This is from a collection called Comic and Curious Cats. I started collecting them, then decided I had enough kitties on my shelves, but sometimes I find something I cannot resist at the thrift. This one is for me. One of these days I will need to make a set up for these types of collectibles, maybe make some trees to go with them.

This week, I received a photo of a wonderful cross stitched piece of my snowman freebie. This piece was done by Cathi of Cathi's Stitching Blog. I love how she did him and the beautiful colors she used. I never got a chance to do him, so it is fun to see him all stitched up.

Giveaway Winners and a freebie for all!

I really enjoyed reading everyone's comments and suggestions. I do love to create and it will give me ideas to play with and maybe some new patterns in the coming year. One of my gifts this year was an ipad 2, and I got an app called Sketchbook pro. You can get it as a free app with basics, or this week it is only 1.99, well worth buying, it is a wonderful drawing and painting program. My son and DIL got me a nice stylus, so now I can practice drawing with it.

I used the random number generator and the winning number for the Valentine prize package was number 15, Robin of Bird In The Hand Primitives! Be sure to visit Robin's blog, she has wonderful free patterns.
And for the second winner, a choice of two epatterns or booklets, is number 13, Dorothy of Dorothy's Threads of Life! Robin, please send me your address so I can mail you goodies to you and Dorothy, you can go to my ecrater site and pick out any two epatterns, congratulations!

And for everyone else, a gift for you to enjoy. This is a pattern that I made and was planning on making an epattern from but never had a chance, so today I am sharing the cross stitch pattern with you. I hope you enjoy making it and I always enjoy seeing your finished pieces. For the horse on my piece, I used dmc linen, #4145. For the mouth, I used a line of floss.

Giveaway... Merry Christmas!

I want to extend a Happy Christmas and a Happy Chanukah to all of my online friends.
I hope you are all well and with family and friends and may the new year bring blessings to you all.
I feel blessed to be able to call all of you my friends.

I decided to do a Valentine theme for the giveaway, it is right around the corner.
The winner will receive my little valentine quilt, some of my hand dyed thrift wool, fat quarters and a little cross stitch kitty. A second winner will receive a choice of any two of my epatterns. The giveaway starts tonight and ends on sunday, at midnight, eastern time. I will announce the winners on Monday, the 26th.

So what do you need to do to enter? First, this is for followers only, new followers are always welcome.
Tell me what crafts you like to do and what types of patterns you would like to do, but can never find, and would like to see. What themes or subjects would you like to see.

I wanted to show you a really special set that my friend Kelley sent me for Christmas. She hooked this pillow set and I just love it, so different and unique. I put it up with my kitties for now, but after the holidays, I will do a nice display with it.

And today was one of those days that I should not have tried something new, my brain is mush. I wanted to make an ipad case that opens but my first attempt didn't work, so I went with a simple case for now, and still made a mess, lol. It just fits, guess I wasn't watching my seam lines;) The fun kitty fabric is a prize from Barbara of Cat Patches. She has been having fun friday giveaways and I was the lucky winner of a book and this fabric. And you can guess what is in it, my early Christmas present;)

Christmas sewing marathon!

Today I was busy sewing up pillows, antiquing and stuffing. I wanted to make some pillows stuffed with crushed balsam to put into packages, so that is what I did. I had the tree applique made first and today I finished those and made some quickie pillows. The tree appliques are fun to make, quick and easy, just cut up scraps of triangles and whip stitch them onto a backing. I used wool for the stem. I got some buttons to add to the trees. The other pillows are some old and some new christmas fabrics and I stained them to age them.

 These pillows I made with fabric I  found at Jo anns. I thought it would be fun and faster to use pre printed fabric, but I didn't realize that the designs are a bit skewed, but I tried to sew them straight, so they didn't come out too bad. I aged these, as well.

 This is the original fabric, a lot brighter and whiter. I do like the design and have enough to make a nice lap quilt for next year, good practice for my quilting skills too.

And for myself, I repurposed these old ornaments. I washed them with soapy water and then antiqued them. Then I made a little tube from scrap fabrics and filled that with the balsam and put that inside the stocking. Then I hung them on a rack, so I have fresh pine smell in the house. Notice the date, that is when these were originally made.

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.

Free Cross Stitch: Witch on the Moon

I wanted to make something for my wonderful visitors, who have put up with my paddling pictures all week and for all the good wishes you have sent me. I meant to make it smaller, need to remember how to use my program again, so I hope this is ok and you enjoy it. It is 139 x 130, done in 14 count, so you can make it smaller by using 18 count or higher. I added color so it would be easier to see, but not something I would actually use, lol.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend and hopefully I will get out for one more easy paddle tomorrow, before the rains come. Don't forget to come back on Tuesday night for a review and a giveaway!

Prim Goodies!

I finally took a photo of the new goodies I received from the prim swap in our ebay group, USAPRIM. Lori from HomeSpunPrims sent me the most wonderful gifts. I just love the items and can make a special grouping with them. She does such beautiful work, it is shame my old camera can't capture the work and warmth of the pieces.




I was feeling worse today so I went to a walk in clinic nearby, that has a group of good doctors and you don't have to make an appointment. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to drop again since Bill does have to go back to work, lol. Well, once he heard about the symptoms I had and questioned me further, he diagnosed me with lyme. My doc had mentioned it, but I don't remember even having a tick on me. But, for the last few years I have been getting sicker and it was frustrating. I didn't even realize that some of my problems were a sign of lyme, seems I have most of them. So, I am on a regime of antibiotics for a month with a follow up and hopefully this will work and I can start living again. With me it was effecting my nervous, muscle and joints, so I thought it was old age and not being in shape. My hands are even starting to feel better, so hopefully I can start working on some small projects this weekend.

I really appreciate the comments and good wishes and truly enjoy each and every one of my online friends!

The Three Musketeers!

We were out today looking at new cars and yes, we got one. I am hard core, the poor car dealer, lol.
I am blunt and said I want the cheapest car with the lowest payments;) Took him a few trips to the manager, but we got what we wanted and with the payments and gas mileage, it comes out less than what he is paying to fill mine, for a month.

When I got home, the kitties were no where in site and this is where I found them. This was such a shock, Dora never goes near Moki and when she does, it is usually to attach him. Lately Moki and Izzy have been sleeping with me at night, so I guess Dora decided that it is her bed too;)



It was a day of surprises, I got a special surprise from my friend Sharon. In her note, she said the gifts were supposed to go out last spring, and since then she has added to the goodies and I am overwhelmed with all of the wonderful gifts. It is like she read my mind, books that I had wanted, patterns I had wanted, candles, a journal, magazines for quilting and hooking, Kits to make pin cushions, a wax crow who looks great on my peg rack and a beautiful cross stitch kitty. I am awed at her cross stitch, such perfect tiny stitches, I wish I could stitch like that, but at least I can enjoy her beautiful work. And in the packages on the left are shapes that are made from compressed scraps of cloth, very neat to use and neat idea to try myself. I can't wait to make some of the items and they will make great gifts for others. The funny thing is, I was just thinking that I need to make a few more braided chair pads and this time, try to make them right. Well, one of the books she sent is a braiding book with wonderful instructions and photos, so I am definitely going to read that before I make one.



Here is a close up of the cross stitch. Not a great photo, it is so wonderful in person. I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's day tomorrow. I plan on running away from home and going for a walk. It's either that or stay home and cook for them, I don't think so, lol.

For Sale: Primitive Easter Set

I have decided that ebay is not the way to go. Not only do they take a chunk out of sales, they now want to tack a fee onto shipping, as well. I charge exact shipping, so why should I pay a fee for that? I do not understand their reasoning.

So, I am offering my Easter pieces as a set. This will include the hooked rug, the punch needle and the cross stitch piece.
The rug is 15" x 9 1/2", the punch needle is 7 1/2 x 4 1/2 and the cross stitch pillow is 4 1//2 x 3 1/2. This is nice if you would like matching pieces for a display or you can keep one and give the others as gifts. I think it would also look wonderful in an antique doll setting. If you are interested, you can email me with questions. I have it listed on my ecrater site.



The price is 140.00 for the set, which includes shipping and insurance, priority mail.
The rug is done with hand dyed wools and whipped with lopi yarn. I sewed the excess backing onto the back of the rug and added a cotton ticking backing as a cover. I have also added the new single pattern to the side panel. This is for both versions of the pattern, no instructions or color charts.

Also, for the rest of the week, until Sunday April 3, buy one pattern and get one of equal or less value, for free. Just order one pattern and put your free choice in the comment box.



And today it is Izzy's turn. Izzy loves bags and decided to make a little hut out of my bag and use the bolt of fusible as her bed.
When she decided to use it as a scratching post, I decided it was time to put it away;)

A beautiful finish!

Well, today I started to use my old kenmore and the bobbin thread ran out.
How to wind the thread with no manual, no idea, lol.
Then I noticed on the top there was a diagram and it looked easy, but it seems the bobbin pin is missing the lever, no idea where that went. So, I cannot sew with it unless I buy a bobbin winder and they cost as much as a cheap machine;) I will have to check with my dealer to see when my machine will be done and maybe I can go in and wind some bobbins in the store. It is frustrating since I have one piece to finish and almost done with my hippie piece and need a machine to add the borders.

So, for tonight, here is a photo by a follower who made my free easter piece. She did a beautiful job on the piece and love how she displayed it.

Winners and Freebie!

I am finally feeling halfway human again, though today I realized I won't get better if I don't take medicine, so I got some.
I hate cillins, I am allergic to molds, so any cillin makes me stupid and cranky, lol. But, being sick for a week was enough to make an angel cranky;) It seems everyone is getting this one and getting it bad, even my husband had to go on cillin the other day.

Now, onto the giveaway, which will be two winners, since I made everyone wait so long.
Since I did not get the new pattern done up yet, you can pick from any of my patterns that I have listed on my ecrater site.

Winner number one is Flutterbygone...Tracie!
Winner number two is coinguyslady.... Vicki!
Email me with your choice of pattern.

And for being such good sports and playing along, as well as all the well wishes, a freebie from my new pattern.
This is a cross stitch only, you can use it for personal use or to make as gifts. You can use both together or by themselves.
If you are looking for the pattern as a rug or punch needle and to sell the finished piece, you need to buy the pattern.

I hope you enjoy the piece, I did a quick version for something to show. You can keep it simple and prim, or add color and a border if you would like.



I did my piece on 14 count oatmeal and #3021 for floss.

Cross Stitch Horse!

I finished the cross stitch piece, with a horse to match the other two pieces.
I wanted it to be simple and it is larger than I planned. I used variegated thread on the horse and a mix, so I had to do single stitches to get a nice look with the variations, so took a lot longer to fill. I would like to do it in a mini version, so I will try one this week.

Now I will work up the patterns and make them into a pdf file, so you can get all three patterns in one file.
I hope you like this newest piece for the set and I will try and get the pattern done before the end of the week.

Giveaway Winners!

I will be nice and not write a long blog and make you scroll for the winnners;)

The first winner is SewCalGal!
Winner number two is Margaretha!

You can go to my ecrater site, link at the left, and choose a pattern for yourself. Then pick one for a friend and tell me which one and where to send it to.

Congratulations to the winners! I will try and have more contests and freebies this year, still coming off the bad flu, so recovery is slow. Today I received a lovely email from Rosa. She is from Spain and made a beautiful christmas pillow with my free reindeer cross stitch. I love to see your work, so please send me photos of your finished pieces.