Weekend Wanderings!

We did a lot this weekend, and now I am tired out, but it is a good tired. Saturday we planned on a ride but got a late start, so we decided to check out the art festival in Scituate. The nice thing is, it is also a craft fair and antique market.

It is a beautiful historic town that is on the Scituate reservoir and we had to cross a strip of land to get across the lake. Beautiful views and pops of color among the trees.

One of the reasons I wanted to go was, I had never heard of the festival until a friend liked one of the artists on Facebook. Of course I had to find and visit her booth and I was not disappointed. This is what was left in her booth on the first day, I guess the morning patrons took half of the things, before we got there. I did treat myself to one doll, see the pumpkin man sitting on the shelf, with the wool pants? He now lives with me and he makes me smile:) You can visit her Facebook page, Folk friends and see photos of her booth before the show.

I also found a rug hooking studio and found out, she is Deanne Fitzpatrick's sister. Sharon and her daughter hook together and have a store in Swansea, Massachusetts, called Loop by Loop Studio.

On Sunday we watched Nick. His dad was working on the house, so we took him to church with us. Our church has a back room for mom's with small children and we sat there, so he could play with the other kids and we could try and concentrate on the service, not easy with a hyper grandchild, lol. I call it a service of joy, since that is what Nick brings to me. After we took him home, the guys worked on the house and Nick and I went for a walk by the river.

Today we got out for our ride in Connecticut. We drove down the back roads to Willimantic. It is an old Mill town and as we crossed the bridge, this is what we were greeted with, frogs on both ends. They are sitting on spools to honor the history of the mills and if you follow this Link, you can see the story of the frogs.

We stopped at the old mills to look at the river. There is a bridge that goes across and it is covered with gardens, a beautiful place to just sit and enjoy the views.

After we saw a bit of the town, we headed up to the lakes. I wanted to see the dam, but we took the wrong road and ended up at the boat launch. By then I was tired and hot and had no brain energy to figure out which way to go to get to the larger falls, so we enjoyed walking bean around the launch area. I would definitely want to come back and paddle here.

The next stop was the Natchaug forest area. There is a pond, hiking trails and a beautiful bike trail in the area, but with Bean, we stick to walking. We just enjoyed the immediate area, and the sound of shotguns in the distance did not instill a sense of safety since this is also a hunting area. It was a nice day to just explore and we enjoyed a lot of beautiful towns and scenery and I did stop at a wonderful old graveyard to get photos and a few churches, they will be future design ideas;)

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend and try to explore in your own backyard and surrounding areas, you never know what you will find. 

Friday Finishes!

This week has been slow, no motivation and no energy. Being stuck in the house so much, doesn't help and Bean has way too much energy to be stuck inside, as well. Yesterday Bean had to go in for his operation, so I had the day without disruption. I spent the time, cutting and getting some prim stuffed Easter pieces ready to make. When Bean came home, I rested and worked on them in between his resting and need a cuddle time.

The first pieces I made were little chicks. I made two to see how I liked them. The actual pattern has a gusset, but i did it the lazy way and just made two sides. I also used camel hair wool, that I had over dyed in yellow shades. The pattern is by Pea Pickers Primitives, which is now called, Whimsical Endeavors. The original pattern has the chicks sitting in a rusty cup with status. I have both, so I will try that too.

The second piece I did was a free pattern I found years ago. I think it was in an old issue of Creative Times Magazine. It is by Rusty Pins and Old Lace, though I think she may be retired now. You can go back through their magazines and most of the free patterns are still downloadable. I reduced the size a bit, and it was a bugger, turning it inside out. As you can see, my stitching didn't stay on track and my bunny came out a bit wonky. I used an old wool that had been over washed and it was stiff and fuzzy. I think it would be fun to make them larger, and a lot easier.

The last piece is a pattern by Soft in the Head. It was given as a free pattern, at one time and I never made it. I have an old spring and the bunny sits on a spring, but my bunny is too stiff and my spring is too narrow for him, so I will make a new setting for him. I think I need to grunge it up with walnut, a bit too bright for me. I do like the way his carrot came out, maybe I will make a bunch to sit in a bowl.

Love is in the Air Giveaway!

I received my last two prizes today and so thrilled with how wonderful they are. I haven't had any time to decorate and it is so nice to have the new items to bring some love to my house. These gifts were all part of a giveaway hosted by Primitive Handmades Mercantile.

Robin of Bird in the Hand Primitives sent me the most wonderful prim doll. Of course prim does not show well in photos, but hopefully you can see how wonderful she is. The fabrics are all aged, and she is placed on a rusty spindle. I placed her on my apothecary next to my chair, so I can admire her. Robin really puts a lot of detail into her primes. It is those details, a worn spot, vintage fabrics and the hand stitching on the face that make a true prim so wonderful. She even has a hand hooked heart necklace. I just love her, I think she will stay out all year;) Be sure to visit Robin's blog, she has wonderful free doodles and a new one today.

The last gift I received was from Margie of Hungry Hook Primitives. It is a beautiful hand hooked heart, made with a variety of beautiful wools. Of course I can never get the true look on hooked pieces, I think the camera gets confused with all of the dyed wools, but I think I got it pretty close with a little photoshop magic. It is just so beautifully hooked and gorgeous wool shades.

I feel truly  blessed to have been the winner of so many wonderful gifts and with the bad month I have had it really brightens up my day to see them in my home. I have been working on some more angels, trying tan prints, this time. I am starting to feel better again, so hopefully I can get back to finishing my projects and maybe do up some new freebies.

I have also been practicing with my good camera, just automatic for now,  just to get the feel of the camera, it is heavier than my old one. I also got a zoom, but not sure if I got the right one, my photos seem to come out too fuzzy, but it takes really nice macro shots of items that are in a certain range. So, here are a few shots that I took, and had to enhance in photoshop. I really wanted to get a nice crisp shot of the bird, and wondering if all those focus points are messing me up, maybe I need to adjust them.

What kind of bird is this? A type of Bluejay? We have a bluejay that visits and he is a lot bigger than this little guy.

And here is an edited photo. I was taking a shot of the pond, from the falls and the cropped shots of the falls, had some interesting details. I used a filter on this one, it is the water falling off of the rocks, do you see something in this picture? Leave a comment about anything from this blog and you will be entered to win a free epattern from my ecrater site. The giveaway is open until Sunday at midnight and I will announce the winner on Monday night. 

Fabric Stars and Kitty Stars!

Today I worked on my braided quilt, but got tired of sitting on the machine and decided to make some stars.
I made up a little display with my pillows and stars and added my patriotic mouse that I won from Joyce at RagPatch. The pillows and Patriotic punch needle doll, are made from Primitive Blessing's Designs. I think I need a patriotic mat for underneath.



And the star of the day is Moki, he is just too cute and sweet;)

A little bit Country, a little bit Rock N Roll!

I finished one piece last night, but with Blogger down, I had time to finish another, so I can show both tonight.
The first is a primitive doll by Tiffany of Primitive Blessings. I made this a year ago to go with a friends crib, but never finished it, so I finally got it done. I wasn't sure what to add to it, so I just put some basic stitcheries and antique it. I love to add names from my family history, Loper is one of those names.



And for all you lovers of bright and crazy, here is my hippie piece. To recap the story, the first time I met my husband, was when he drove a few of us to Boston, to see Aerosmith. I had a boyfriend at the time, but the minute I met Bill, there was a connection that we had. I had to add a kitty and dog to my world and the words are two songs from their first album. I did free motion on the background, using the swirls are a guide and the outer edge has a machine, feather stitch.

ABC's Stitcheries!

I decided to carry the ABC theme in a few pieces to group together.
My bad angles make things look more warped than they really are, lol.
This wall needs to be painted, so I just stuck them up there for now, but everything needs to come down soon, so will redo the decorations on that wall again.



Here is a closer look at the K is for Kitty.
The stitcheries are done from old illustrations.



Here is the pillow I made to go with them. I might do some more, it is fun doing the alphabet. I might try some with color, like an old children's book. I also have been collecting ones I find with animals and kids and some play ones. I would like to do them into a quilt.

Stitchery: My Dolly and Me!

I think I am on a stitchery binge, lol.
I find it relaxing and something that can be made quickly.
I wanted to try some on floral fabric and I like how it gives it an antique look.
I also worked on my dog, which has now become a pillow for casey, since I didn't want to go crazy with it.
I also started a project from the new primitive magazine, so will have those to show you, soon.

Don't forget to enter the Giveaway if you haven't already. It will end on Saturday night at 9 pm and I will be announcing the winner after 10pm.

Online Friendships!

I and I am sure a lot of you, have made some wonderful friends on the internet and through blogging.
Friends who we would never have known without online access and are blessed to know them.

This week, being rough with my rib pain, was a bit better by the generosity and thoughtfulness of my friends and the wonderful contests that they do. I have entered contests for the prizes like we all do, but have enjoyed the blogs so much, that I visit often and have made friends with many of them.

I wanted to show you some of the wonderful things that they have given me and some I have won.

This pilgrim doll was made by Jane, of Nothing Plain by Jane. It was part of a contest run by TDIPT and I was the lucky winner of Janes pilgrim doll. Is she not the most beautiful thing and the face details are wonderful. TDIPT has a group of wonderful artists if you are looking for finished primitive goodies.



Another prize I won, was from Madalynne of Pineapple Primitives. She generously gave away 12 handpainted ornaments and I was the lucky winner of this beautiful santa ornament. I love hand painted items and it looks wonderful on my tree.



Then this week, out of the blue, I received a package from Mary of Quilt Hollow. She sent me a card and a beautiful pin cushion that I will treasure and use. It sure made my day when I was feeling blue.



And to top it off, Carole of Quilting Adventures sent me a surprise package. I had chosen Carole's name in our group swap and
she went and sent me a little something to say thank you. She wasn't supposed to do that;) But it sure was nice of her and so much appreciated to get something to perk me up. She wrapped the present in this beautiful piece of homespun, I love homespun. I really needed those tissues, too, lol.



Inside was a beautiful wood, spool holder that her husband made. I should have taken side pictures, his work is so beautifully done, I just love it. It might just be the thing I need to hold my thin wool skeins when I machine couch. I just feel so blessed to have so many wonderful friends, who seem to send me something, just when I need them. And also blessed by my friends and visitors who leave me such wonderful comments.

New punch and rug

I thought I would try a simple, smaller design this time.
It is one of Tiffany's new designs, from Primitive Blessings.
I did this one in a stitchery and decided to try it in a punch.
I just finished it, and not sure if I want to stain it.
I used two contrasting red, medici wool threads on the dress and valdani on the kitty, the rest is done with dmc floss.
Not thrilled with the way it came out, but too late to change it now;)



Then I got the idea to make a small rug to match. As you can see, I made a mess, lol.
Luckily with hooking, I can take out what I don't like and redo it. I outlined the outfit in a darker shade, but nothing matched for the inside, so I ended up using the plaid for the whole dress. I had to lighten it up, so the colors look like they pop out, but they are more dark and prim. I guess I will have to take out the border lines and use black to make the outline show better. That and fix the faces and mess ups. That is another nice thing about hooking, I can hook in details and then see what looks right or not and redo those parts.

Amish Autumn Punch Needle

I finished a new piece and with one of Tiffany's new designs. The original says autumn and has another pumpkin, but I changed it a bit to fit the pillow shape. On this piece I used a mix of two contrasting threads, to get the tweed look, on her dress. My hand was acting up this week, so I just made it through this piece. Now I need to give it a rest, so I don't mess it up again.

It will be for sale on ebay, later tonight.
If you would like to make your own piece, you can find the pattern at Primitive Blessings.
I think this and some of the others would make great hooked rugs and applique pieces too.



Here is a close up of the dress, you can see the mixed colors better.

New Halloween Punch Needle Piece

I wanted to make a punch with another of Twigs and Sprigs designs and my first attempt was a disaster. I punched a hole through the cloth, so I had to start over. This time I used my tan weavers, it seems to have more stretch than the white. I will save the white for 3 strand punch only.

This was a fun design to do, halloween and cats, two great subjects to work with.
I used valdani for the kitty, love their antique black. I also raised some areas for definition which gives it a more sculpted look on the face.



I decided to make a matching pillow with this piece. With the pillow I used my technique to give it that water stained, antique look and don't ask, it is a secret, lol;) This set is for sale on ebay tonight, if you are interested in this piece. Next I need to finish some winter ornies that I am making for the magazine, http://mercantilegatherings.com/shop/. The fall issue has a pattern for the crow and pumpkin that I did and some wonderful prim homes and articles.

Liberty Punch Needle

I guess the saying, better late than never, applies to this piece, lol.
I planned on finishing it before July, but I got distracted with other things.
Today I finally finished it off. It is a design from Primitive Blessings.
I did the hair in a higher height, to make it more funky.



I made this piece, because I needed something to match my other two pieces. The wall hanging and angel are both made from designs I got from Primitive Blessings. The wooden angel is something I carved and painted, years ago.

My husband is finally getting the wainscoting into the dining and living area. Once he is done, the wall things come down so we can patch up holes and repaint the upper halfs. Then I will redo my walls again;)

New Stitcheries

I have been working on finishing stitcheries, but still not finished with the little quilts.
Sometimes I am lazy and just want to sit in my chair, so I make more stitcheries, lol.
Tiffany sent me some of her newest designs that are coming out and I decided to make two of them into small pillows.
I used floral material this time and left them under stuffed to have that feed sack look.

I love the look of these and think it would be fun to do a wall hanging and there will be punched pieces too, so look for them in the future. I think they would be nice with dates and stitches around the edge, but I forgot about that, lol.

Friends Stitchery

I finished one stitchery tonight.
I have been moving slow lately and working more on my yard, so I am tired when I am done.
I have a few more to finish, so getting there.

This one is another design by Tiffany from Twigs n Sprigs. They are just too fun to do up and make great gifts for friends.
They fit nicely in a yellow envelope, so it is a way I can give gifts and not spend too much on shipping.
This one is only 7 1/2 X 6 1/2. I did the stitchery on a dark tea stained fabric and then used walnut spray, when it was done to age it more.

Friends Quilt

I wanted to make something special for a friend and found the cutest free stitchery to start with. We met online and met in person one time. She decided that we were adopted sisters, so I thought this saying was perfect for the wall hanging. I wanted to keep it scrappy, so no fancy stitching or perfection;) I did not notice until I took the picture that I forgot an arm, lol. I always forget one thing on my quilts or put something upside down. I tend to design and add as I go, and wanted to fill the empty spaces. I put apples at the bottom, well they are supposed to be apples, not look like pumpkins. Then I added the leaves to give it all a fall look.

If you would like the free pattern that I used you can find it at AppleBerry Farm.

Dolls on Crack!

I really need to practice making dolls, lol.
I found this free doll on the web, from Little Missy Primitives.
They are for a project called Comfort Dolls, a group that sends little dolls to women's shelters. A woman in one of our groups is heading ours and I volunteered to make a couple, from ugly to crazed, these dollies might really scare the heck out of the recipients.

I realized I forgot the eyelashes, that might help. Another thing is, I wanted to add little wings to the back, but mine are not working out the way I wanted. If I use thin fabic it doesn't hold on its own and I want them to attach to the back, so not heavy with batting. I made one pair with ticking and a piece of batting, but then they would not come out at the tips and using a needle just wrecked them. So, any ideas of wings I could use to make them easier? Would love suggestions. I guess I could pull out my old books, I have a few for doll making, so wings must be in one of them.

The Ugly Angel

Marylou Weidman had a beautiful pillow with an angel on it and writing. Soooooo, I decided I had to make an angel with writing on her wings. I made a simple stump style doll and put a face on her and then the hair. It was a mess, but I gave her a haircut, it is still a mess, lol. Then I messed up the lettering and was too lazy to do it over, so I sewed them on. Then I realized she had no clothes on and got the brilliant idea to use yarn, which I sewed strand by strand down her body, back and front. Not the smartest move;) Could not think of any way to improve her and make her into something presentable, since this was supposed to be a gift for a friend. I decided to sew on a little patch from my angel fabric, ( Which would have made great wings or a dress). Then I put a bow on her neck and I give up, lol. So, this is how she became the ugly angel, imperfections and all. I am still going to send it, she will either laugh or it might give her nightmares;)



To show you that I can actually sew and make dolls, when I am in not in a demented state of mind, here is a kitty doll I made years ago. I used to make these and sell them, but haven't done any in ages. One of these days I will get back into dolls and maybe creating something new and more primitive.

Izzy loves to watch

It has been a slow week, I have been busy and then sick.
I have been working on several projects, but they still need to be finished.
Tonight, I made a braided chair pad, but the picture came out whacky, so I need to take a picture of it tomorrow without flash.
As soon as I finish the rest of the projects, I will post pictures.

Izzy seems to like my sewing room. Whenever I go in there she comes running to get in. I really don't like the cats in there, I do like to have some things hair free;) But, they do like to watch me as I cut and sew items, so who can say no. Izzy likes the high spots, so this is one of her favorite spots to keep watch over me.

And this is the cat that we nicknamed Psycho kitty, she sure has calmed down. She and Dora love to play and now when my son visits, Izzy growls at him. Guess I am stuck with her;)

Primitive Hen and Eggs

I finally made something for myself, something simple and took no thought, whatsoever.
I bought a prim wire basket and twiggy stuff and this week I made a Hen and eggs to go in it.
I used tan ticking for the Hen and red,blue and green for the eggs.
I used a pattern I found in an old library book and redid a few things, made us some egg shapes, sewed them, stuffed them and voila, easy decoration;)

"Can you imagine if that chicken actually laid eggs that big"
And that is Dora's butt.

I grunged them up with walnut and a bit of java spray. I buy the sprays from the scrapbooking supply area and mix it with a bit of water, it is dark, as is. Plus, by wetting the items first, it helps the stain to go into the material and soak into areas to get the blotchy look. Most antiques have water damage, so if you want to get a good prim look, water will give a more natural aged look.

This weekend I was lazy, I am working on a little cross stitch. I did start out with a pattern, then went crazy as usual and added my own things;) All I had was 18 count and my eyes are blurry. Today I hit Jo anns and found some nice linen/aida on sale, so that will be better to work on for projects.

Today we got snow, tonight we are getting more snow. Anywhere between 10 and 12 inches. I am not going to shovel, I am not going to shovel........

Freebies: Online newsletters and patterns

I think we are all being hit with the cost of gas and living in general, so what is better than freebies. These sites are great for information and free patterns. Some have patterns that change monthly, so well worth revisiting. If you have any favorite places to find free patterns, let us know by leaving a message.

To start off, here is a free pattern from me. He would be fun for a punch needle piece or you print it out as a coloring page for your kids.



Magazines:

Rusty Tin Roof
Primitive Times
Creative Times Magazine
The Olde Prairie Register

Free stitchery and primitive patterns:

Twigs and Sprigs
Homeberries
Tennessee Ridge Primitives
MoonChild's Primitives

Here is enough quilting pattern links to keep you sewing all year.
Free quilt patterns

This site has great seasonal quilts and lots of animal patterns.
Fat Cat Patterns