Friday Finish and Fun!

 

Another week has come and gone, seems they get faster every year. I worked on a few things this week, one I finished and one needs some finishing. I wanted a case for my sunglasses and I wanted to try a little wet felting.

I used a design I saw on the internet that was a watercolor painting so I could use some of my pretty colors. I didn't use soap, just water and I rolled it with a bumpy cup, so not true wet felting but it did tighten up the fibers more. Since it will be in my purse, I wanted it to be tighter so it wouldn't fuzz up on me.

I kept it simple and added some glitter thread. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but it will do.

On the weekend, we got the boys most of the time. Dad was building a shed and needed our car, but we were able to get to the beach one day and the boys had a blast. Nick loves to hunt for glass and Alex loves helping him.

Alex loves playing in the waves and surfing more, so he spent most of his time in the water. 

Of course I found lots of treasures of my own. We try and get to the beach after Bill gets home. It is nice to get out without the crowds and in the fresh air, while the weather is nice.

And I went car shopping. I wanted a jeep, something small for me and something we could pull behind the RV. Well, it seems all the dealers are out of jeeps and they only have used ones, which have high mileage and high prices, so this is what I ended up with. Lots of things to learn but it is so much nicer for me, than the truck. It is all electric, so I can drive around and charge it at home. It will be nice not to pay for gas and it is so quiet, I have to remember it is running, lol.

I took the photo offline, I forgot to take one of mine. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

Posting early today, since we are going off grid, this afternoon. The weather has changed back and forth all week, and now it looks like a great weekend for camping. The bad thing is, I thought it was going to rain, so I let my Son host the dinner, which he wanted to do, so no picnic, and now it is going to be 79 on Sunday, ugh. It also means, we come back to the house and get things ready and Bean can stay home while we spend time at their house, then back to camp.

I Cooked up a pot of Goulash and some corn bread, so we can just relax and heat up dinner. Baskets for the kids are done and now we are just doing some finishing things and waiting for the milkman before we take off.

One reason we are going away is, it is not only Easter, but Danielle's birthday on Sunday, so it would be too much to sit home and think about the fact that she is not sharing it with us. She loved camping, so this will be a time for us to relax and be with her in spirit as we walk the beaches and enjoy nature.

I worked on a pillow, an idea I saw on a website, who made a pillow to ease her grief. She lost her daughter right after birth and spent the day, loving her and saying goodbye. I can only imagine her pain, for each of us grieves in our own way.

I made my heart with some of our clothes and some of hers, a special memory and inspiration as I walk this journey called Grief.

I also finished my eyeglass case, it is a bit smaller after sewing and I like a roomy case, makes it easier to get them out. It is also good for pocket cameras, too. I used old blue jean material behind the felted piece, and for the backing.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a Blessed Easter.

Friday Finishes!

This week I got a couple of projects done, one was my noodle board, I finally finished it.
Bill made the board for me and I painted it black. I was going to do mustard over black, but decided that would be too busy in the kitchen and left it black.

The problem was, the board had been sitting for months and the paint was really set into the wood and I do not have a lot of strength, so I didn't sand it very well.  My stain was old and I had to water it down, so that didn't help and my spray varnish was way too old, it wasn't going on right and left a messy finish, but it will do.

This is how it looks on the stove. We made it to cover up the old stove, it was a mess and this would have looked nice on it, but I think it is too much for my new stove and I love my new grates and don't like covering them up.

Then I used the broiler without taking the board off, not a good idea. The varnish started melting, so never use the oven with a board on top;) I decided it would be better to use it elsewhere and now it is sitting on top of my chest. The chest is another future project, I think it needs to be painted and antiqued. I like how it looks on the chest and keeps things from being knocked over by the kitties.

The hooked rug and cat pieces were gifts from my friend Kelley, With Hook & Needle.

I also decided to try another needle felted project and I needed an eyeglass case. I used designs from online coloring book pages. If you use white wool for the backing, you can trace designs onto it with a light box. I like to have the outlines to follow, even though my version is definitely not as detailed as the original. I made the case in one piece, doing a design on each side. It has a fabric liner inside, then I added a twisted cord for the edging.

This is what I did as the front side. My seagulls are sad looking, I think I should have gone with simple black outline gulls;)

And this is the backside, I kept it simple and had fun with the fibers for a sunset look. I think it is time I dye some roving so I can do more shading and details in my pieces. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

The Watering Hole: New EPattern

I have been working on a new pattern this week and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
It is based on an old quilt appliqué, that I had made into a small quilt a few years ago.
This piece was made into an eyeglass case, but I think it would be nice as a pillow, hooked or in wool appliqué.

I have a link to the left, if you are interested in buying this pattern. It is in a pdf format with a color photo, black and white pattern and some basic instructions and color choices. This is an epattern, once payment is made, you will receive the pdf file in your email.

As usual, my camera will not read the colors and the shading, no matter what lighting I use. My piece is a bit more prim and not so bright and bold, as in the photo. Those are my husbands glasses, I need new ones since my last pair was stolen with my purse, last summer.

I always love feedback, tell me what you do and don't like about the new pattern and what you would like to see in the future.

Happy Birthday Freebie and Winner!

First I will announce the winner. The winner of a free epattern is Annie of Scrappalachia!
Annie, please send me your choice of pattern from my ecrater site.

Since it is my birthday and I have hit 400 followers this week, I thought I would give all of you a gift.
I made this design as a gift for someone who loves churches and thought I would share the pattern with you.

I made an eyeglass case with the design. I use wool for the back and use a blanket stitch to put them together. I haven't antiqued this one, thinking of leaving it, as is.

Here is the design, you can enlarge or reduce the size to fit your needs. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with many blessings.

I redid the design in ink and my hands are a bit shaky today, so you can straighten out the lines or leave it wonky;) The design is done in reverse for punch needle, so if you want to do it in another medium, you will have to reverse the date.

A New Eyeglass Case!

Today I wanted to make an eyeglass case. I was thinking of punching one, but nothing was inspiring me. Then I thought about doing a fusible art piece, but couldn't come up with an idea that I liked or the gumption to think of something;) So, I decided to use fabric that I won from Barbara of Cat Patches. On fridays she has a giveaway and she sends a surprise fat quarter and I was the lucky recipient of this fun cat fabric. I used some to make an iPad case and today I decided it would be perfect for an eyeglass case.

The first attempt was a disaster. I was using free motion and got carried away and broke the needle, so started over. This time, I took it slower and outlined the blocks and the designs, not perfectly but it was good practice to try and follow them with free motion quilting. I realized after I did that, that I should have closed the top first and then realized I should have sewn the backing on first to get a nice finished edge and then used a blanket stitch to attach the wool back, like I did with the punch needle case. Not the best looking case, but it will suffice for now and it keeps my glasses safe from getting broken.

Here is an example of, what not to do;)

Wool Eye Glass Cases!

I am still in my lazy mood, so today I made another eye glass case.
I got the pattern from Better Homes and Gardens. The felted fun flower I made up and the prim sunflower is from Babycakes.
The one on the left is more prim, done with dyed wool and basic blanket stitch.
The one on the right is more modern, since I made it for my daughter and wanted it to be fun.
I used roving and needle felted the flower and yarns into the wool. Then I went over the piece with floss to tack it down and embellish it. I decided to add a few swirls with the floss that I won from Laura of ArtFabrik. The color I used is called Honey and has a nice variation of light to darker yellows.

These are fun and easy to make up and you can add anything you like for a design. Great idea to make ahead for gifts.
I use wool that has been over felted so it is thicker and great cushion for your glasses.