Friday Finish!

I have decided that if I want to get things done by Christmas, I better start now. I know I will never finish all the projects I would like to do, but hopefully a few of them. I also start making gifts, so it is good to get started early.

I received the new issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects and I loved Tonya's of Mad Hen Primitives, rug pattern and decided to do it in punch needle. It was fun to do and I was able to use up scraps, on most of it. I also used Lopi wool yarn on his beard in a higher height. I separated the strands to get a smaller piece for punching, it is white with gray flecks. I wish the colors and antiquing showed up better.

I received a nice surprise in the mail this week. Brenda from Rusty Thimble sent me two beautiful, velvet pumpkins. The stems on top, are real pumpkin stems, I love them. She has been making new things again, so hopefully she will have her Etsy store, up and running soon.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I am hoping to go exploring again and find more foliage in the upper areas of Connecticut.

Friday Finishes!

This week I did some rocks and a stitchery and actually cleaned up my sewing room, so I can get to all of those projects I have been wanting to do.

I had four rocks that I base coated, so it was worth finishing them, for now this will be the last batch. I am having a hard time keeping my hand steady for small areas and with the rough surfaces, it just take me too long to do a decent job. I have been wanting to make heart pillows for breast cancer and I have a few finished mini stitcheries that I can gift with, so between that and Christmas quilting, I think I will be busy enough.

These were done with some free clip art images, that I found. I like to make items that make people smile and hopefully these will. If you are interested in joining my group on Facebook, it is called DSmiles4miles, no pressure, just a group for those who want to make things for others and spread happiness to others.

Another item I finished was a little pillow for cat lovers. It is a free design from Quilts by Cheri, a Facebook group. I think it is a great gift idea for a cat loving friend.

And a reminder to find joy in your life, even in the simple things.

We are getting into the colder temperatures now, but we still plan on exploring, just less time outside. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend we had the annual art and craft fair in Scituate. It is a wonderful fair in an older town, with hundreds of vendors, artists and crafters. It is nice to have a mix of arts and antiques and a nice place to just walk around and enjoy outdoor shopping.

The bad thing is, it was crowded, there is parking along the outer streets so parking there means walking a mile to get to the fair so we looked for a parking area. We found one right at the edge of the fair and had openings when we came in, but they charged 20.00, ouch.

The big thing I go for is to visit the Doll Maker, she also sells at the antique barn, we visit and I have been getting a mouse for each season. At the shows she has more variety and she was nice enough to hold a few that I really wanted. I also couldn't resist a cute snowman made by the woman next to her, who also makes hand made baskets, Baskets by Claudia. I wish I had gotten more snowmen, I know a few people who would love them and she only charges 12.00 for them, a great deal, I think.

She held the mice for me, the kitty on the pumpkin was another piece I couldn't resist. The snowman was made by Claudia, she makes small items to sell along with her baskets.

Sunday was a rainy day, and I didn't get much done around the house, we were lazy and watched movies from the free preview weekend;)

Today was a beautiful day, a bit windy but that kept the heat away, perfect for a ride in the country and some hiking.

We headed to Connecticut and took the fast way, so we could have more time at our destinations. The first stop was the Natchaug Forest. We enjoyed a walk around part of the pond, but it was rough terrain and rough on the knees, so we didn't get to do the full hike. The views were beautiful and the leaves are just turning enough to give pops of color to the area.

The second stop was down the road to Mansfield Hollow. It is a larger lake so we enjoyed the lake and headed to the dam. The last time we went, we could not find the dam, this time I knew how to get there.

We stopped at the bottom next to the mill and enjoyed the falls. Bean loves water and had to get in and check it out.

This is looking down the river, beautiful colors lined the banks.

We climbed up the stairs to the dam and it was windy as heck, so hard to take photos. This is a view of the mill, I had to lean on the gate to keep from blowing over.

They had an area on the other side to walk and enjoy the river. There was a beach area where Bean could go off leash and enjoy some play time, he was happy. Some beautiful foliage along the pathway.

It was fun re-exploring these places and having the time to stay and enjoy more of the areas. The bad thing was, the colors weren't as vibrant as they predicted for the area. The good thing is, we still have time to explore more places and enjoy the foliage.

We headed home and since we had the time, we took a short detour to the apple orchards. I got a smaller bag so I can get more fresh ones next week, I love eating fresh apples. They were also selling pumpkins and had activities for the kids, maybe we can bring Nick, next time.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and those who were in the storm's path, spared the devastation.

Americana Punch Needle!

No outdoor activity this weekend. I am still recovering from my last two hikes and Bill was on a trip, so perfect time for me to relax and make something new for the house.

The design is by Robin of Bird In The Hand Primitives. Her designs are fun to do and it really worked up quickly.

I used dmc floss, 6 strands, some as is, some of my hand dyes and a bit of scraps from my scrap box. The edging is done with red, white and blue yard of Twisted Cording. I tie my yarns onto a handle and twist by hand. I gave it a bit of walnut stain to antique it and put it with a few of my americana items.

The balls in the basket change color with the seasons. They were still red and green from Christmas so I changed the green ones to blue fabrics, by adding enough blues to cover the green. It is an easy way to change out your rag ball colors without redoing the whole ball.

The cute little mouse is a wonderful creation by Ragpatch Primitives, that I won, years ago. I guess I need to make a cupboard mat next and repaint that cupboard, while I am at it;) The wall is the one we just painted, so still trying to decide what to put on that area.

Patriotic Bowl Fillers!

Today I wanted to make something fun and quick to do a little decorating. With the cabinets being redone, it is hard to keep the house clean and redo things for the season, but there are some spots I can play with that don't get messed up by my husband.

I wanted something to use as bowl fillers, so I tried two different ornies. One is the flag pillows, a quick and easy project. I used red and white ticking for the flag, then I sewed a backing onto it and lightly stuffed it. I sewed the star onto the blue piece and put that on with a simple running stitch.

I wanted to make a rag flag to put in the basket, but didn't have time today, so I put a piece of blue ticking in it, for now. It looks light in the photo, but it has been antiqued and a lot darker in person. A couple of rag balls and a few things I had in the house and I have a little setting for the top of my chest.

The Patriotic mouse is a piece that I won from Ragpatch Primitives.

The firecrackers I made by using scraps, so the size was dependent on what I grabbed. They measure about 6" x 2". I sewed them on the machine and left the tops open, then added a piece of jute for the fuse. They are stained with a combination of mahogany and walnut stain.

And of course, being the proud Grandma, I had to show a new photo of my grandson. Grandpa is holding him in his lap.

Wins..Buys and pillows!

Thanks to my friends and family, I won second place in the contest sponsored by This-n-That Fabrics. I tend to be practical, and I plan on making a lot of quilts and gifts, so I bought two packages of blades. Then I used the rest to treat myself to some fabrics and got a mix of fabrics to try. The ABC panel is beautiful, I was thinking it would be a nice panel for a charity quilt and something the kids would have fun looking at and learning with. The blue patchwork will be fun to use with dolls or patchwork animals, christmas writing to use as a background for wall quilts, and a gold homespun for my stash. I got the tan prairie cloth to try, have no idea what to do with it, but have heard others love using it. Be sure and visit This-n-That fabrics and follow if you haven't already, there is another contest running this week with a wonderful prize package.

Last weekend, we took a ride up to Massachusetts to visit The Quilted Crow. I love their store and I know I should have taken photos, but it was crowded and I was too busy walking around the store and ogling all the goodies. I got two patterns, but I just realized I didn't add them to the photo, duh. But I will be making them and show them off then;) I went up with ideas in mind, but they didn't have any of the patterns I was looking for, the owners had taken a lot of the punch and wool patterns to the show in NH. I was able to get some beautiful homespuns to add to my stash and more green and red for my christmas pieces. The blues are from the new Jan Patek homespun line, they are so beautiful in person, beautiful blue shades. This was an early birthday present to myself;) The tins are for pin cushions.

I am working on a new punch that I adapted from one of my patterns, but I made a couple of pillows for fun and to give my hands a break. The snow heads are a pattern from Primitive Blessings and the cat pillow is a design from Heartfelt Designs. Great ideas to add to packages.

Thanksgiving Mouse!

I was the lucky winner of one of Linda's wonderful mice in a giveaway that was hosted by Carol of Firecracker Kid Primitives. Linda has a wonderful etsy site called Heartfelt Ornament Co.  If you love mice, you will love her little costumed creations. She also has an etsy site called Warmth and she has some wonderful new pieces and sweet Christmas mice, wouldn't it be fun to have a few to tuck into your cubbies. You can find the candle boxes at Firecracker Kid Primitives and in any finish you would like.

I was happy that I won the fall mouse, it is perfect for Thanksgiving. I love the little accessories that came with her and the decorations that Linda added to the shelf.

Noah's Ark Progress!

I have been working on finishing my Noah's Ark and still working.
I did an outline stitch in black around the appliques and adding some embellishments as I go and will finish those off next.
Once I get the border on, then I will decide if I want to add more, I was thinking of adding a stitchery saying going through the empty spots, but will have to figure that one out, then decide.

Hard to take a photo with flash at night and hard to get it all in one, without being too small, so I have three shots, some better than others, I am a bit shaky tonight;)

This is the middle section, I got a bit carried away with my monkeys, lol. Noah now has a tool box and Mrs. Noah is bringing in supplies. I think I might add some strands of yarn for the sitting goose, needs something underneath her.



I gave the zebras some manes and added some new critters to the right.



And to the left, more new critters and finishes, details needed on some. I was told today that my good camera should be here on monday, so I hope i can get better indoor shots with the new one. This will be going over a double door, so higher up and I wanted more color and things that pop out, so it shows when it gets placed on the wall. Plus I am just silly lately;)

The giveaway, in the last posting, ends tomorrow, so you still have a chance to enter. Now I will make sure I get the information as I make my quilts so I can fill it into my Quilt Album.

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;)

Kitty Kapers

Today is what I call a lazy day, which means I only worked half the time I normally do;)
Yesterday I decided I was going to sand the sets of things, I am making as presents.
That is a lot of sanding and then I had to clean the house and spent the night punching wool into weavers cloth.
That did it for me, now my whole arm is in pain, so I could only paint a little today with braces on.

This week I received a fun package from my friend Joanne. She sent me lots of kitty goodies, including a mouse. She said her kitty dropped it in my box, so she took it as a sign that he wanted to give the girls a present. Dora could care less, she is not into mice, but Izzy just loves it. She really loves to play and she even sat on the bench watching me paint today. She has come a long way, since the psycho kitty stage.



Later on, she discovered the box that it came in, which still has the wool she sent. Izzy loves to lay on things and it was a great place to relax. That was until Dora came along and decided to do a sneak attack.

Patterns on Linen for Sale

I had a request to make a rug hooking pattern on linen for a customer and decided to make an extra one, for those of you who prefer patterns that way. I am offering the second one for 55.00, which includes shipping and insurance. So, if you loved the dog and cat pattern that I made in punch, you will love to make this one for your home. I plan on making one myself. All lines are drawn on the straight of the grain and the missing elements such as eyes will be in the pattern, before it gets sent out;) If you are interested you can email me. I will take paypal or a postal money order. You can email me if you have questions about payment.
No international orders on this one, sorry.



While I was getting linen, I remembered I had another pattern that is looking to be hooked. This one is a pattern from 2006 and it hasn't found the right person to hook it yet. I have made this design in a small mat, but this one is the only one I have done like this and with a welcome. It is a fun piece and a great project to make for the fall. If you are interested, it will be 47.00, which includes shipping and insurance. This offer for US sales only.

This is the version I did.



This is the pattern you will receive. All lines are drawn on the straight of the grain.

Cats in the Garden Quilt

I finally finished my Cats in the Garden. The original quilt is called "Six cats in the garden," by Linda Brannock. As you can see, I have four. Each one is done to represent my furry babies that have passed on and the top one is Dora. I use the brown paisley to represent my Tortie, then my big white guy and black for my beloved Black. I used a darker thread on Dora so that her face shows more than the others. I think this quilt pattern makes a great piece to memorialize your kitties.

I added a few of my own items, that kitties love to chase. I also added grass, because I placed my kitties in the wrong place, so that was an idea for a good fix it;) The quilt is hand appliqued and then I used free motion to quilt the top. The background pieces are done with meandering stitches and free form designs, and the border was done in a vine with leaves pattern.

I found a great way to draw designs onto your quilt before quilting. This is great for those of you who like to do their own designs and have a guide as you stitch. It is called a chaco liner pen by Clover. It is a chalk pen that comes out as you move the tiny wheel across the fabric. It is refillable and affordable, my new best friend for quilting.



I love how Dora's face came out. I use free motion quilting and draw the faces on with the thread. I even made a few little designs while I was doing the meandering. You can't see it, but there is a duck and a mouse hidden in the quilt;) When I get a chance, I will add tabs and hang it from a stick that I found and hang it over my entryway.

New Rug Project

I have been busy finishing projects. One being a UFO challenge. We had to pick a pattern we never made and finish it. Since I make my own patterns, I used one I made years ago and never bothered to do. It was on rug warp, so it was a pain in the neck to hook, I only use linen now. This is what I ended up with, I still want to redo things and working on shading, so hopefully it will be better when I am done playing with it. I cannot get true colors with the red background, it is not as bright as it looks. THe original pattern was from a postcard and I decided to make the kitty look a bit like Dora, not an exact likeness, but some similarities.



Well, I was going to show some more pictures, but blogger is being finicky tonight and it is late, so they will have to wait.