Friday Workings!

This week I have been working on old projects and starting a new one. I have tons of wool, especially scrap wool, so I plan on using the wool that is not great for hooking or appliqué and making scrap rugs. I was gifted wool, years ago and decided to start with that and making a braided rug.

The great thing about braided rugs are, they are not hard to make and you do not need any tools, if you use what you have. There are various methods so it is a great way to use up junk wool and fabric scraps, as well.

I couldn't find my braid aids, but I did find an old set that was still in the box and it even came with a measuring tool and flat needle for threading. I get old supplies from friends and relatives, so sometimes I don't even realize what I have. It is a nice set and never been used, so I can use it for future rugs. For this one, the strips are too thin to get a nice braid with them.

This is what I have gotten done so far, a bit thinner than I like, but I have enough rolled strips to make a small throw rug, so once I use up this wool, I will finish it off and if I need a little extra, I know I have plenty of similar wools.

I am using my hands to turn the wool under, as I go, so slower going. It also twists as I braid, so I have to untwist it, as I go, so that slows me down, but also gives my hands a rest.

While I was looking for the aids, I found items I had forgotten about. To finish and paint the floral rug, or sell to someone else. The cats would be a fun one for the kitty bowls. And, it is one rug the cats won't claw at. The dog piece is another oldy, I really need to clean out my supplies, lots from the 80's.

And we got to spend time at the beach on the weekend and a few days during the week. The glass photos to the right are from my favorite beach, we found some nice treasures. The smaller photo on the left is from a local port beach, not a lot of great glass, but a few fun finds, a domino and an old local beer cap. Now I need to make time for working on some art pieces I have been thinking about.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Weekend finishes!

One good thing about Bill working weekends is, I get more things done. And I rather have him doing it now, when it is too cold out, then when it warms up.

I have a folder with Cheri's free patterns and this time I made a stitchery pillow with one of the designs and added lavender. I think it will make a nice gift for a friend who gardens. The finished size is 7" x 5".

I also wanted to make more bunnies, they are fun to make. This time I used wool, the brown shade is camel hair, so nice and soft, the blue is a wool that got felted, so nice and stiff. I also added a little heart, better colors for the boys if they want one.

I was working on my angel painting and the crackle did not work right and made a mess. I ordered the right type and made the mistake of putting over the bad finish, so now I will have to see if I can sand it down or wash it off, definitely not what I wanted, so hopefully I can fix it up a bit and I will show you the results on Friday.

The original free pattern can be found Here!

Weekend Works!

This weekend was rainy again, so we took a day off and I worked a bit on my painting and finally finished a rug. I made it a few years ago and forgot all about it, so I got the binding on, this weekend. It is a design by Maria of Star Rug Company. A friend sent it to me and it was a fun one to do.

I used wool yarn roving for the bunny and old thrifts for the background. I bound the edge with an off white rug yarn. It has been a while since I did a rug, my edge is a bit wobbly looking. It is 14.5" x 11".

Sunday was another threat of rain and it did rain a bit in the morning, and the weatherman said we would be a break mid day. So, we headed to the beach and of course it started to rain, but once we got to the beach, it stopped. It was even a little warmer and it was full low tide, so we spent a few hours, combing the beach.

We didn't get as many larger pieces of glass, as last time, but I grabbed lots of little stones to play with. Now I have enough to make a few art pieces. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This week I have a new free pattern from Cheri on her Facebook Group and I will try and finish my painting.

Friday Finish!

This week I made a new piece, A BOM from The Little Red Hen, a new group on Facebook called Wooly Mysteries. There will be a new block each month and it is cat themed, my favorite subject to create.

I decided to do mine scrappy, using striped homespuns from my stash and old thrift wools. I added a mouth to mine, each one will be different but similar, since I do mine by hand and my hand has a mind of it's own, so that is what creates the personalities.

On this one I used green shades, the body is a men's jacket that I over dyed with a greenish blue, it got washed out in the photo.

I also got all my stockings prepped and ready to sew. I use freezer paper and decided to cut out the shape itself, before cutting the stocking. I was able to use the same piece for all five stockings, which is a nice way to save on freezer paper costs. What I did was, iron on the stocking shape, then I put it on the table to have a harder surface. I used my General's pencils to trace the design around the freezer paper, then removed that and cut out my stocking, 1/4" from the chalk line. It made it easier for me to judge the cut around the line. It also makes it easier to turn under, since you can use the lines as your turning edge. The pencil does make the line outside the original line, so you need to compensate for that, by turning the chalk line under, but it still works, even if your stockings are not the exact size.

This is with the white pencil, they also have them in colors, if you are working on light fabrics.

And this is how they look, when done, not perfect, but much better than my usual wonky applique. I will wait till I make the next three, before I decide placement. There is also a sashing and a middle section, so I think once separated they will look much better.

I hope  you all have a wonderful weekend and hopefully it will be warming up in your area. I am going to get out early to catch the tide and look for more beach glass. I have been collecting ideas for things to make for my beach room.

Friday Finish!

I have a habit of seeing something new and wanting to make it. And with Cheri's free patterns, there are way too many to keep me distracted. This week I made the wedding pillow, perfect for a gift, for an upcoming anniversary.

This was another fun one, done in wool and stitchery, and I added my own fabric touches for the clothes, as well as, faces and buttons. The finished pillow is 12" x 11". If you haven't joined Cheri's Facebook group, you can visit and sign up at, Quilts by Cheri.

The rest of the week was spent taking down Christmas and cleaning out my sewing room. I am thinking of taking out the large table and the kids need one, so they can have that and Bill will make me a skinnier cutting table with stock cabinets, and I am thinking wheels so I can pull it off the wall to work on quilts, so it will be nice to design one to fit my needs and space.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have some warmer temps, so hoping to finally get out for some beach combing.

Friday Finishes!

This week I made a new project and finished one I had started. The first one is a design by Kathy Schmitz for her, One Stitch at a Time Club. Each month she sends a new design to stitch, for two dollars, a month. I decided to join since I love her stitcheries and it is fun to get something new each month. There were a couple, I never did, but I still have the designs that I can do another time, but I do love ones I can make for the holidays and ones I can give as gifts. You can also buy the designs for a dollar more, after she releases them, if you want to buy individual ones.

This one I made for me, loved the design and I happened to have a little hanger and christmas clothes pins. Perfect to hang on my peg rack. She had three words to choose from and I love to use Joy, though I did the word myself, so not the best layout, but good enough for me. I used her crackle fabric and then antique medium, love how it came out.

Another piece I finished was a quilted wall hanging with a design by Cheri Saffiote. This was a free pattern on her Facebook page, Quilts by Cheri - Friendship Group. This will be a gift and I wish I could have gotten a better photo, but the lighting is bad in my house and it is freezing outside. The wool textures don't show up as nice or in true color. It is a little wonky and I used scraps for the border, not perfect, but made with love.

I added the words in the upper two areas to fill in that space. I also received a wonderful gift from my friend Karen. She had made a top with sailors and never finished it, so she gifted it to me with the backing, so I can make something for my beach room. I love it so much, I may make a quilt with it, or a wall hanging, something fun to work on.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have snow coming in tomorrow, so it will be a stay at home day. I will finish up cards and things and then I can enjoy the rest of the season and work on new projects for fun.

Friday Finishes and a free pattern!

This week I have been busy cleaning up after the holiday and decorating for the next one. I find myself more in the mood this year, I put out more of my decorations and more lights. I think the kids will love seeing all the decorations and lights when they visit, kids do make the holidays more joyous and I am blessed that I can spend as much time with mine, as I want.

I decided it was time to make one of my patterns from Buttermilk Basin. I love the cut out shapes and they fit nicely on the wall, in smaller spaces. I changed mine up a bit, adding button eyes and snowflakes instead of stars.

Another thing I wanted to try  was an ornament that I saw in my Craft Gossip mail. I followed the link and there was no pattern, that I could see, so I made up my own. I found a similar shape and made a printable, and printed it out on card stock. It isn't real clear, but good enough to print and cut out. I had some music note paper and cut that out in the same shape and glued it on with Elmer's craft stick glue. I used buttons and a button carrot nose, as well as a scarf, all done with the same glue. I wasn't sure if it would work, but everything is staying in place. With the snowflake button, I sewed that on with a thin quilting needle. This was a fun and quick project and you can use different types of paper and items that you have around the house. Great for the kids too.

I am posting the template, that I used. It will print out clearly and you can easily follow the shape, to cut it out. This can be done on a wood cutout, as well, most craft stores carry them. Another option would be to use fabric. Or if you want it to be more prim, you can spray it with walnut spray or add glitter, lots of possibilities. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finishes!

This week I got an idea that I had to try. One of the things I love to do is, stop at old graveyards and photograph unique stones. For some reason this one caught my attention and I always like the designs on the stones. I was going through my files and thought, wouldn't it be fun to reproduce it in stitchery and make it a gravestone shape, so I did.

I was going to make it thinner and hang on a wall, but once I turned it inside out, I thought it made a fun pillow and I could stand it up, that way. I did the design exactly like the original stone, mistakes and all, thought that made it more fun. I was thinking I might do a booklet with gravestone designs and this would be a fun way to finish them and have grave pillows to decorate with, what do you think?

I used a darker stain on this piece, I wanted it to look like an aged stone, but my stain had a mind of it's own and kept pulling into the center when I dried it. I loved making this and will try some more and redo some designs to make them more fun for decorations and add my own touches. It will be something I can work on for next year.

Another piece I made was a mini pillow with a design by Cheri Saffiote. She was part of the Buttermilk Basin's blog hop and this piece was fun to do. I used coffee stained muslin by Moda for the background.

I also took my camera back, decided it was not smart to buy the floor model, too many dings that I hadn't noticed. They ordered me a new one and I got it in two days, so fast service. The photos today are with the new camera, taken outside since I have to buy an external flash, but I think the quality is much improved over my other camera and since it is lighter, I don't shake so much and the photos are clearer. I took it out yesterday for a practice run and this is one of the shots I took.

I Took a full photo of the boats in the harbor and cropped out these two boats. Another thing I like about this camera is it has a much higher resolution so you can take regular photos without zoom and crop out the section you want and it still looks close up. I got a Sony mirrorless camera, they come in different models so not sure which ones are good in the lower price range, this is one of their newest ones, but not the newest since that is double in price and this is just right for me. It is an early Bday present from Bill;) I am hoping we can find some nice foliage and new places to take photos tomorrow.

Friday Finish!

Well, just one thing this week. I seem to have lost a day, lol. One moment it as tuesday and the next thing I knew, it is friday, thought I had one more day to work on some blocks. I finished the newest block from Buttermilk Basin and have Cheri's blocks started, so hopefully I can finish sewing those this weekend and get the pieced blocks made up next week and be all caught up. Did you know Cheri offers free patterns on her Facebook page? She just uploaded another from her Christmas book, a nativity pillow and a christmas quilt.

One more block to go, it is a longer panel that will go above the W, so almost done and I actually kept up with this one;)

I found a few old photos in my slide box, this one is me and a girl named Amy Sherman. I spent my summers with my grandmother in Amagansett, Long Island. She would make me new dresses and I have a feeling she bought me new sneakers since they match Amy's. We got hand me downs and I was the youngest of 6 girls, and shoes were worn as long as she could squeeze our feet in them, lol. In those days, I could walk around the neighborhood and up to the store, now it is a highway and big houses with pools.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Working on!

This week I finally got my Buttermilk Basin blocks made up. Now I am working on them, but not finished yet, life got in the way;)

I did two so far and one more to go, and I still have embellishments to do. I really love this BOM and it will be a fun piece for Christmas. I still have the S to do, that has a sled and lots of little pieces, so I saved that for last. Next will be the W and a long side piece, can't wait to finish these and just in time for the next one.

One of the things that is keeping me busy this week is slides. I got a smaller slide viewer that loads right into my computer, so I can view the slides and just take the ones I want. There were a lot of old slides and most were from trips, so scenery and ones my brother took when he was in the navy, but I finally got through that batch and got some fun ones. I need to learn how to do them into photos if I can and my nephew said he can try some, he does graphics, so he may be able to do it better than I could.

This is one from a camping trip to Maine. I am pretty sure it is on Sebec lake, they had a camp then, now it is just house rentals. I loved going there and one year Bill and I drove up there, but it was not the same. A lot of good memories, camping with my family. This week Bill has off, so we may just stay home, I have some places I want to visit and if I change my mind, we can always go camping for a few days later in the week. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

This is my mom and me and one of my twin sisters, they look alike at some ages.

Working on Friday!

It seems I am always working on things, I really need to finish some things, I am getting a large pile of stitcheries and things that need to be made into things, so I will start working on those too.

This week I have been busy outside, we found some barn red plastic adirondack chairs for the fire pit, and I have been working on a garden retreat. I started with some flowering bushes in the back and then realized my bird bath is cracked, so I have been looking for something new, either a bath or I may go with a water fall, still looking. It is not a big area, so I may stick with something simple. I also plan on having bench seats on each end and a trellis in the back to hang the bird feeders from, so things Bill needs to start building;)

My sister is coming to visit next month and she loves snowmen, so I thought I would start something simple that I can give her when she visits. I used designs from Christmas Coloring Pages and made four snowmen blocks. I plan on adding sashing and a border to make a mini quilt, or maybe a pillow, depends on the size when I finish.

Today I finally started my appliqué block from Cheri's, A Blackbird Gathering that can be found on her Facebook page, Quilts by Cheri. She also has other free designs from her older patterns and it is a fun group to participate in. I need to add the stitchery and maybe button flowers, for the smaller ones. Or maybe I will grab some when I hit the craft store this weekend, would be fun to have mini flower buttons for pieces like this. I am using lana wool thread on this BOM, I want to give it a more prim look.

It looks like rain most of the weekend, so hopefully I can catch up on my projects and get my sewing room organized so I can do some machine quilting, as well. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finishes!

This week I wanted to try something new, or something old, since I have had the pattern for years. The pattern was a freebie from Create and Decorate and is a design by Denise White of The Cat's Pajamas.

It was the pattern and no directions but I never read them anyways, lol. I changed it a bit and made some mistakes but she is so goofy, she makes me smile. I forgot to cut the red ticking to make the stripes go across for one thing. Then I decided to make stockings and no shoes, but didn't like it, so I tried coloring it in with a sharpie, takes too much time and you need more than one coat, so I decided to paint them on. That was fine, but I didn't realize that I grabbed the black enamel paint, duh. I actually like how it looks, a bit thicker and a bit more shine so great for shoes, but not for washing off.

Too windy to get an outside photo, the material for her face and arms is an old muslin that I stained, beat up, washed in dirt, among other things, so it is really grungy, a bit of brown and some green. The flash washed it out. I made the hat and boat by using an online tutorial and online american backgrounds that I printed out on laid paper. Laid paper is a nicer paper with enough weight to keep it stiffer, but not too stiff.  The hair was a thick binding yarn that I attached with a thin piece of wool to tie it down, then I unravelled the yarn to get thinner locks.

She was fun and fast to make, I tried different things and see things that I can improve on, so maybe I will try some more and change them up.

Then I finished the next block in Buttermilk Basin's BOM, the  Second letter T with the snowballs. I got some carrot buttons, they are fun to use on pieces like this and on the snowman pillows, guess I need to get more.

Here is what I have so far, with the letter T at the end.

At the last minute, as usual, Bill has to go on a trip, the day after our planned vacation. It would be too much to spend the week away and then come home and have him leave the next day, there are some things I can't do and Billy is going away too, so easier to stay home and get things done before he leaves. There is nothing going on at work for now, so Bill is taking the next two weeks off, so hopefully we can do some exploring and have some fun during the weekdays with no crowds.

Friday Finishes!

I am still making small items, but I am getting antsy to start on my unfinished projects and new ones that I have been wanting to make, so time to get going on those. I still can make small ones in between and it is something I can work on at night when I need a no brainer project;)

I was thinking of my sister when I made these. She loves snow men and always asks me to make more that she can buy for next year, so I let her go through my snowmen pieces and pick what she wants.

The first is a pillow, something simple but fun to do. I added a saying and a carrot button, as well as, the wool heart. I enjoy putting little touches on each piece, though I think the nose is a bit big for this guy. I use Faber Castell art pens to color with, they are archival inks, waterproof and have a longer tip so they color in nicely without bleeding. I wet the pieces to remove the washable ink and then use walnut stain on them and the ink does not run.

The second I made as a pair, but only got one finished and this way I can see how it looks before I dod the other one. I do like how it came out and a fun way to finish a stitchery to be used as an ornament. I did the stitchery with the batting on, then added a backing and did the stitching first, then I cut around the stitching with pinking shears. I had fun adding star buttons to this one. I also added a snowflake to the back so it would look nice if the ornament spins around on the tree.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. We have a nice day tomorrow so hoping to get out for some hiking.

Friday Finishes!

This week I worked on the new blocks that Stacy of Buttermilk Basin has been offering for free each month. This month it was a snowflake block and the letter I. I know this is one project I will finish and enjoy putting together. It is going to make a wonderful wall hanging for Christmas.

I also decided to try a piece by Bustle and Sew called Friendly Fox. I love the fox and the saying, a perfect gift for a friend. I am not sure how I will finish it yet, I was thinking it might make a nice sachet, with some lavender. I also did the flowers in simple stitchery, the original is done with embroidery stitches and filled in.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. We have one nice day, then rain, so hopefully we can get out and explore tomorrow.

Friday Finish!

This week I worked on a rabbit quilt from a free design by Cheri Saffioti. She is offering her old designs and free ones on her Facebook page, Quilts by Cheri.  She gave us the bunny with basket and then I change it up a bit, and added the saying and extras. The chicks I added when I saw another guest who did hers with two chicks and loved that idea.

The saying is something I came up with when I saw a quote by Martin Luther King, I took the first line and added the rest to fit my piece. This is the finished quilt, walnut stained after I finished it.

Here is what the piece looked like, before I stained it. It is easier to see the details and colors in this one. I always prefer the stained piece, that is more my style. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, looks like we may get snow again.

Monday Finish!

Another weekend that didn't work out as planned, but I think if life went too smoothly, I wouldn't know what to do with myself, lol. Thank you for all your well wishes, I had to cut back on one med when I realized that was making me sicker, so today I am feeling more human.

Saturday I felt horrid from the shot and my body just hurt. I decided to get out and do some shopping, love 25% coupons, was able to buy some battings and other items I like to stock up on, on sale and with the coupon, so couldn't miss out on that. Then I went downhill and couldn't make it to the shower.

Sunday I was a bit better and it was beautiful out and rain was coming today, so I had to get out. We decided to go to the lighthouse and walk around. The fresh sea air was just what I needed, it really made me feel better. The bad thing is, I walked around the full loop and that was too much, so I crashed, lol. While the meds are killing off the lyme, I get weaker and my muscles tend to spasm and tighten up, but well worth it.

Bean loved being at the ocean, Bean loves being anywhere where there are people and dogs. He is like a kid, wants to say hi to everyone and their furry companions. It was a good day for dog people, some just wanted to pet Bean and others had dogs that loved Bean too, so good socializing and maybe some day he will meet people without trying to maul them to death.

Today I finished my Kitty piece. The design is by Cheri Saffiote and she is offering it free, as well as other older patterns, on her Facebook page. This week she did a rabbit and I have that all ready to sew, next.

I wish I could have gotten a better photo but it is raining out. The piece is not crooked, it is darker and all crinkled up from being in the dryer, love how it came out and it will go in my sewing room.

And another photo of the ocean. Jamestown is an island between the mainland and Newport, I never tire of going there or just sitting and enjoying the views. The tide was going out so the seagulls were feasting on the rocks.

Friday Finishes!

This week I made two pieces, the first is an Easter piece that I made from Rebekah Smith's book, Wool Applique Folk Art. I made this pillow smaller by reducing the design so it is 9" x 10". I am not sure if I stitched right, my brain is still on hold so I just used what looked good. I also stitched around the designs to help tack down the two pieces.

It is a fun piece and a wonderful piece to decorate with. It was hard getting the colors right in the photo and trying to balance the light and dark so you could see the details.

The second piece is a smaller pillow, 4" square. I found this design online as a freebie, by Cheryl Seslar of Raggedy Scrappin. I found it on pinterest, but can no longer find it online, but you can get it from this pinterest link.

And just in time for Valentine's Day, I made a banner for my bunny. I found a stiff felt at the craft store and it is perfect for mini shapes. I cut out the hearts and stitched on the letters, then used yarn to hang them from bunnies arms. It is a fun idea and I can make an easter one, and one for Christmas, so she can stay out longer;)

I hope everyone has a nice weekend and a Happy Valentines!

Monday Finishes from Freebies!

There are so many wonderful artists on the internet who share their talents with us, and there is something for everyone. I actually finished two projects but the bunny was finished today.

The bunny pattern is a freebie offered on Pattern Mart. There are a variety of projects on their site for free and thousands of patterns from different artists. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter, they send one out, once a week and also have surveys that offer free patterns, as well.

This guy is a creation by Catnap Primitives. He is one piece, except for the ears, so he was easy to put together and fun to change up by using what I had. I have a hard time focusing on instructions, usually after a couple sentences I get lost, so I just look them over and then cut out the pieces and put them together;) Check out her other patterns, lots of wonderful prims and most are under five dollars.

I stitched areas on the ears to get the bunching and then I inserted a wire to keep them upright. I basically messed with them, until I got the look I want;) I hope you like him, he makes me smile. I moved him and didn't realize his carrots are crooked. I tacked them on to the hands, so they do move.

My second project was to get my Buttermilk Basins BOM done. I love the first design and can't wait to see the next one. This is going to be a fun BOM and you will have a finished quilt for next Christmas, don't forget to get your copy of the first block.

I am using Primitive Gatherings line of seasonal fabric for the backgrounds. The wool I use is a mix of new and over dyed thrift wool. I realized I forgot to add the fringe on the scarf and the star on the snowman, so I will add those on.

I hope everyone got to work on projects this weekend. Snowstorms have their benefits.

Friday Finish!

First I would like to thank everyone for your wonderful comments. I wish I could answer them all, but if you are a no reply, I can't email you back, but I wanted to let you know that I read them and appreciate them.

This week I made a chair mat for my new chair. I wanted something that was primitive, simple, but a little artsy since this will be my creative room. I looked at ocean paintings and saw some backgrounds that I liked and then drew up my own with elements that I liked.

The rug is 14" x 11", wool hooked on linen. I did the edge with wool yarn and left the backing folded under. Since this is for me and I may want to change or fix it in the future, the extra backing allows me to put it back on a frame.

Now I need to find a rug to match the room. It is a beach room, whites, grays and distressed pieces with touches of color. So, I am thinking that blue may not be a good choice, but something in an aged white look? What do you think? If you see something that you think would match, send me a link, so far, nothing says, that's the perfect rug. I am looking for 6' x 4' rectangle and would prefer a pile, since it is a basement room.

Now we are getting ready for the storm, we are getting more than they predicted, but we are all set with a new generator, just in case. I hope everyone stays safe and warm tomorrow.

Friday Finish!

This week I decided to hook a rug from a pattern that my friend Cyndi sent me. I wanted to be fun with it so I used wool roving cord to hook the bunny. It still looks hooked, but I am thinking of fluffing it up a bit to make it more 3D. I also wanted the flowers to show like that too, so I might hook those over to raise them and maybe even use wool yarn for the flowers. It will be a wall hanging, so no one will be walking on it.

I finished the hooking, so now I will decide if I want to change it to 3D and also a border for it. I am thinking this would look nice with a braided border and even thought I braid rugs, I have never done a braided border, so something new to try. The rug is 10" x 13" and a design by Star Rug Company.

I love how the colors pop against the black, but still a bit muted on the flowers. The camera tends to make everything look bolder than it actual is. The white rabbit is lighter and I will keep it that way, happy pieces are what I seem to be gravitating towards, lately. I will still be doing prim, but I would like to do more folk art primitives and try some new designs of my own, this year.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I think it is time to finish the last rows of the flying geese quilt, that I was working on this year.