Friday Finishes!

 I spent more time at home this week, so more time to finish things. The weekend looks like a washout, so no big outings for me. Today we went for a ride to the beach areas and I was surprised that the private ones, are still keeping people out, so I wasn't able to get to the long point for bird watching. It seems they are keeping parks and beaches open, longer this year. 

My first finish was my Halloween piece. This is another design by Cheri Saffiote for our Facebook group. It had several designs to put into a quilt, but I just wanted this and the other I made, for a set on my wall. As always, it was fun to do and add a few of my own touches. I added a quilted star in the left area, but hard to see in the photo.

The second project I did was a Halloween cat, done with needle felting. I started with a cookie cutter and then added a little more bulk and detail after I got the main shape, felted. I think I do better without a shape, it does limit me, but I wanted it for my wreath, it sits in the middle area.

Over the weekend we got out for a few outings. I am always watching the Semipalmated Plover and wondering what they find in the seaweed. Now I know, there are worms, that come in with the seaweed.

Another day we went to the forts on the island. It was nice to walk around and they cleaned up the area so more open spaces and better pathways to walk on. Beautiful views from the top. I hope everyone had a nice week and have a good week ahead.

Friday Finish!

 I am still working on my charity quilts and I wanted a break from sewing, so I made up a halloween piece. I find that I can sit for hours while felting, so it is a good activity when I want to sit and rest. I always start with an idea and it comes out differently, but still fun to make and have something new for the season.

I also, finally, put my scrap quilt together, so now I just need a border and get it ready for quilting. This will be another hand project, I want the stitches to show and it should work up quickly enough, that I will have it ready for Christmas.

Last weekend we went for a few walks. The first was at our local bird sanctuary. Always a nice walk and lots of birds in the area.

A few views on our walk.

And a few of the wildlife, we saw along the way.

On the way out, we spotted a hawk, flying overhead.

And also flying overhead, were a group of World War II planes.

The next day we went to a park in Connecticut. A nice walk along the coastline with views of the ocean, along the way.

We spotted quilts a few groups of birds, who are resting on their way south.

And more shore birds along the way.

Lots of Monarchs, flitting about, gathering nectar for their trip south.

And quite a few dragonflies and bees, as well. Unfortunately we also ran into quilts a few mosquitos and I got bit, way too many times. It was a hot day, so to the best time to be in a swampy area.

Today we went to the island to do a little walking and glass hunting. It was a bit windy and cool, and the waves were higher in the inner bay, due to the hurricane, passing by. I found a few treasures and was delighted to see that the black piece I found was a cobalt blue piece.

I hope everyone had a nice week and plans for fun this weekend. A lot of the places we visit, are ones I found by using Google maps and exploring closely to find walks and parks in the area. See what fun things you can find to do, in your own backyard

Friday Finish!

 

I made my last piece for Halloween this week. It as a free design by my friend Kelley and it was just right for a little wall hanging for an empty space on my wall. I seem to have fewer of those, with all the pieces I have been making.

I colored it for a fun look but still kept it prim with the fabrics. The pumpkin fabrics was gifted to me, years ago, from Kelley, as well.

Last weekend we were able to get out for some bike rides. The first was in a town in Connecticut, along the Quinebaug river. It was a nice ride, not too long and it ended at the dam.

Since it was a short ride, which I later learned was over 5 miles, we decided to go to the trail we did last week, but from the other end. It was a nice trail, fairly flat and went by several ponds and mostly wooded.

I had a destination, to end at the reservoir that we stopped at, from the other end. I did not realize how far we had gone on the first ride and this one was longer than I realized, so I was getting tired each time I had to try to go up hill on the cross overs and of course I fell, not once but twice. The first time I fell on my tailbone, but I have no sense and kept going. Then I fell again when I died on the hill and fell over on my knee, so I realized it was time to give up, lol.

Luckily I always carry bandaids and taped up my cuts and walked around the area to relax before we headed back. I found a beautiful farm on the road we stopped at and took some photos. The lady came out and told me about her farm and what they do. They have rescue horses and also a working farm with meats and fresh produce. They have programs where you can learn about the horses, have a picnic and they even have bikes if you want to ride a portion of the trail. If you are ever in the Connecticut area and looking for something different to do, you can visit their website, Hidden Springs farms.

After that day, I decided that riding was out for now and we went for drives. The first day we rode up the Shetucket River and visited a few waterfalls, along the way. The first stop was the boat launch at BUtts Bridge. The scene was beautiful from the main bridge, but at the launch, it was so overgrown  that I had a hard time finding a spot to shoot from.

The next stop was in Occum. The views were beautiful but the river was high, so another place that was hard to find a place to stand.

Next was Baltic, the river was just as high there and the places we usually sit to relax and enjoy the river, where flowing with water.

And on the way home, we stopped at our favorite falls. It started to rain at this point but I was able to get a few shots before it got worse.

Our last day, we headed to Coventry Connecticut. Our first destination was the Nathan Hale Cemetery. It was was a beautiful old cemetery and of course I took photos of all the interesting stones.

 

Our last stop was the Nathan Hale home. I was surprised at how big the area was, lots of land to walk around on and they even have trails you can hike on.  The museum was closed but we enjoyed walking around the grounds. The rides we take are nice this time of year since there are pops of colors every so often. 

This weekend will depend on how much I can walk. My tailbone hurts if I bend too much and my knee hurts if I use it too much, but I will still get out and enjoy the scenery and maybe find some new places to explore. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finishes!

 

This week I had more rest time, which meant more stitching time. I was able to finish two pieces this week and started a third. After this I need to start thinking about Christmas, I have gift ideas with my glass and quilts I want to make and finish, so hopefully I can get more done this year. I tend to make more gifts and I think it is time to get back to quilting and make some for my house and for the kids, I love the idea of having seasonal quilts around the house.

This is a design by Kathy Schmitz for the One Stitch Club. I made myself a pillow but not sure if I like the bright colors, or if I should antique it. It does look out of place since most of my halloween decorations are darker. The colored pencil orange, was a bit brighter than I like. I will have to see if I can find some darker shades and also have more for blending.

I also made another, this one for the kids. They like bright, so perfect for them. The stars and coat strips are done with glitter threads. I had old halloween fabric that was gifted to me, so it was perfect for this piece.

I did get to spend some days at the beach and as always, hunting for beach treasures. Sometimes I find odd shaped items and take them home, not sure what I will do with them. I do plan on making ornaments for my family so they have a piece of RI to hang on their tree. 

The last few days seemed to be calmer, so not as many larger pieces were thrown up, but I did find a few nice ones. A long weekend ahead, so hoping to get out and try some biking and scenic drives. Some places are starting to turn, so hopefully we can find a few places to enjoy the foliage. I hope. you all have a good weekend.

Weekend Wanderings and freebie fun!

This weekend we spent some time at the beach and I got a few pieces of glass, but not as much as in the spring. The next day was a day with the boys.

We took them to the orchard so I could stock up on apples and I let the boys pick the apples and get their own bag to take home.  Nick checked each apple for bad spots, before he picked them and Alex had to check with Grandpa first, before we put it in the bag.

They loved the tractor ride, but Alex was a bit nervous at first,  with the bumpy ride. We let them pick out their own pumpkin to take home and Alex had to get in to make sure he got the right one.

We ended the day with time at Pachaug state park. The day had warmed up so the boys got to go for a swim and play in the water. The highlight for me was when Nick told me, he was having the best day today. The low point was when it was time to go, Alex threw a fit and was carried away, kicking and screaming, and it ended up with him spitting at Bill. I think he was over tired since he didn't get a nap.

To the left of this photo is the camp we were thinking of going seasonal at, now I wish I had. I had forgotten how beautiful it is there and there is a long river to paddle on.

Sometimes I like to make something simple and fun for the holidays. A friend gave me some old bottles and I decided to decorate them with fun labels. There are lots of places that offer free ones. I just printed them out on copy paper, let them dry overnight, then I put them on with antique decoupage. This way I can wash them off, after the holidays and add other antique medicine labels.

Here are a few places with labels, but you can find more by searching on the internet.

My Two Cents

Kitty Baby Love

New Pattern Winner and a freebie for all!

I was able to finish the new pattern this week, though it took longer than usual. The last fall landed me on my elbows, so my arm is still recovering from that. I made it larger, which actually makes it harder for me, I am better with smaller designs and detail.

The punching is not the best and I wish I had gone out and gotten new floss, but I love the design and how it is a bit of history and a bit of whimsey.

The lighthouse is the Ledge Lighthouse which is off the coast of Connecticut, which is reported to be haunted. The perfect place for the ghostly sailor to sail by.

And to add to the fun, guess what number the generator picked? Lucky number 13, lol! So, the winner is Rugs and Pugs! Please send me an email and I will attach the pattern to the return mail.

The finished piece is 6" x 7". I have added a button to the side bar that links to my selling site. For some reason, PayPal is not letting me use their code for a link, so this way you can see the pattern and link to that, to purchase one, if you would like to make your own. This would be fun as a rug, or applique, which I may try myself.

The colors are better in person, I needed to keep it light for the pattern and printing.

And for those who want to make something fun for Halloween, I have gotten permission to share this older pattern. I did the piece and the write up for the magazine, Mercantile Gatherings, from Tiffany's design. I miss her website, lots of freebies and wonderful prim designs.

Have fun and remember to give credit to the designer, when posting a photo. You can use Primitive Blessings, which is her old store name.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Finish!

This week I have been getting ready for camping, but I wanted to make something that I could finish in a few days. I admit, I had to push it, to finish it fast enough, but I got it done.

The design is a freebie offered by Lori Brechlin in the punch needle facebook groups. Lori's group is called The Punch Needle Guild, if you are interested in joining her group, but it is offered on the others.

I used floss from my scrap box, lots to use up, that is nesting more and more. The orange is a variegated floss that I bought in a package. It is cheaper and with a coupon, you get a lot more for your money. I over dyed it to antique it a bit and it makes a fun pumpkin shade.

I used the twisted yarn method for the edge, a mix of black wool and a bumpy green. Once done, I antiqued it with walnut ink. It looks lighter and whiter than the actual piece, but I have to lighten some areas so you can see them, which ruins the rest.

We also attended the memorial service for my daughter's friend. They were very open about her death and that she lost her battle with her addiction. There was a lot of sadness and crying and a lot of laughter. I made up a little photo of Jenna and my daughter Danielle, as a tribute to them both. And it was confirmed that Jenna will be buried near my daughter, just a few feet away, so I think that is a comforting thought for both of our families, together again in death.

This is when the girls were little, at Jenna's house. I had never seen this photo, so was happy to see them together, smiling and happier times. The saying  I found online and changed to fit them both.

Friday Finishes!

This week I received the newest stitchery of the month, by Kathy Schmitz. I love this one, was the perfect design for my beach room and I think it will be a great gift for the beach lovers. I did mine as she did, I liked the simple pillow with the frayed edges. Of course I aged mine, I do like the primitive look.

I also made some pumpkin flat pillows. I wanted to try something I could use to hide and keep it simple, as well as easy to leave in places. I got a bit carried away with the size and they ended up more prim than I had planned, but once I start making something, I never know where it will take me. I think for the Facebook group DSmiles4miles, I will try some smaller wool ones and use the fun faces that I paint on rocks.

These are so fun, I had to place them in areas around the house.

I also made some more message hearts. These will be gifted since they are prim, but I will do more with seasonal fabrics. I always like to try things first, then I can see what I do and don't like, so I can improve on them.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Halloween Fun!

This week I worked on finishing my candy corn rocks. I love the simple rocks with fun faces and this is a fun way to make something that fits with the season. I have decided on a group name so I could add it to the rocks. It will be called Smiles4miles! This way, anyone can join in, and no limitations on where you live.

I still have to work on the Facebook pages and I plan on doing up some tags that you can print out. They will have the group name and a saying, so all you have to do is print them and add them to your pieces. This is for any crafter or artist and you can also join in to learn and explore new ways to help others.

On the back of these rocks I put smiles4miles and since some were larger, I added, smile at the next person you see. I thought that would be fun and on the tags I usually add a similar saying for those who find the items, so they can pass along an act of kindness.

I still have to put on a few coats of finish, but I had to get the name and writing on tonight, then I let it dry a day, to be safe. It is windy and rainy today, so I will have to wait for better weather, to spray outside. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon, then I can drop a few on Sunday.

I will also be doing heart pillows, another way to join in, sewing offers lots of possibilities, especially with the holidays. If you want to join early, you can go to Smiles4miles on Facebook. I would also like to hear your thoughts and ideas. I want to keep it simple, fun and a compassionate group of artists and crafters. Hopefully I can get all the information and files done this weekend.

I also needed to make something new, every so often I like to try something that I can do in a day or two. I actually made this in an afternoon, and it does look it, lol. I was trying to follow directions on YouTube and they tend to talk a lot and I get impatient and start scrolling through fast and working on mine and the next thing I knew, I was off on my own in the wrong direction.

I wanted to do sculpting, but with their method of using yarn for the sections, my area was too small, so I just did a bit and made it goofy. I had fun making it and it does look better in person, I couldn't get an outdoor photo and flash really brings out the fuzziness, that isn't there. I learned what I did and didn't like, while making it, so I may just try another, or maybe a pumpkin head doll, we shall see where my mood takes me.

I definitely went whacky on the top, reminds me of Miss Piggy, lol.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Of course I will be outside as much as possible, some nice warm fall days and the antique barn is having their annual sale and raffle. We won last year, so maybe we will get lucky again.

Halloween pieces!

This week I finally found my pattern that I won from one of Stacy's, Buttermilk Basin, promotions. It is from the series Wool Crazy for October. I wanted to make it easier, my favorite way to say I am lazy;)

I had a large piece of stiff Eco felt in black and I thought it would make the perfect background for the cat. I wanted to hang it on the wall, so the stiff felt was a good base and I found it easy to sew though.

Instead of making the whole kitty in patchwork, I just added a few pieces for fun, and kept it close to the original.

Here is my version of the kitty. Yes, it is a bit crooked;) I had to use the phone, need to charge my camera batteries.

And here is the original pattern.

Another thing I did, was paint more rocks. I know, I said I wasn't going to do anymore, but when you spend a week at the beach, it is hard not to collect rocks.

The problem is, the group I belonged to is not what I thought it was. I am seeing more people making rocks for themselves, wanting the attention for what they paint and a lot, I feel is inappropriate. The group is about making rocks and leaving them, to brighten someones day. I do not see how making rocks with advertising, especially one that had the back end of a man's butt crack for plumbing is something you would put out for kids to find, as well as creepy designs, that does not say happy or smile to me. The thing that got me riled was when someone posted a photo of rock art they made, not to give, but to keep and it was done by copying a design on the internet.

So, I left a nice post about copyrights and that Pinterest is a place for inspiration, not a repository for free designs. I was being nice, not mentioning designs being used and said that people should be careful and check the source of the designs to make sure they are not from artists who are trying to make a living with their designs.

Well, not the reaction I expected. The remarks were nasty and I was basically called a bi.... and Pinterest is for people to find designs and I could see I was not getting through to them and going nowhere, so I deleted the posting. I didn't need to hear that kind of negativity or meanness from a group who states they are there to make people happy. Then I quit the group.

Now here is where you come in, I am wondering if I should start a new group. I have been wanting to do something like this, I love the idea of leaving gifts for people to find, like when I did pillows for Christmas. If I do a group and use RI in the name, it is just for my state, so maybe a name that anyone can use and add their state abbreviation, or country to that. My original idea was SmileRI, and using a heart instead of a dot above the i. Then when you make something, you can put the name on the back or on a tag for sewn or handmade items. It will be for the joy of giving and  the fun of seeing the person who finds it.

For now it is an idea, and I would like to know what others think, if there is enough interest and I can work out the details and set up the site on Facebook. Please let me know your thoughts and ideas that you would like to see, in a group like that.

For now, here is what I am working on. I thought it would be a quick project but the orange did not want to go on nicely, so I have been putting on coat, after coat. I will be putting silly faces on them, so that will have to be done and then the finish, so they will have to wait till next weekend to get hidden.

They are not perfect in the color bands, but I think they will look fun with the faces. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finishes, Yes, I actually finished two things!

I finished the piece I was working on and the piece I finished earlier. The old houses is a design by Primitive Spirits, gifted to me by a friend. I loved the design and had thought I would mount it on wood and add nail hooks for a key holder, but I changed my mind.

I remembered I had a square box and it was the perfect size for this piece. The box was gray, but I painted it white, then sage green and sanded it down. I was hoping for more white to show, but my hand is still messed up, so not strong enough for heavy sanding. I ended up antiquing it to match the piece. The punch looks lighter than it is, it is more stained than shows, so it goes perfectly with the box. I think it would make a nice gift and something they can use to put items in.

The second piece was a free design by Julie of The Old Tattered Flag. Another design I loved when I saw it and the perfect gift for a friend who has a birthday coming up. I like making pillows, they are small enough to fit anywhere and go nice in settings. I also remembered why I don't use java stain on punched pieces, it leaked out and the hidden colors like green, came out. I had to rinse it a few times to get it out, but it left some darker staining.

Today was one of those days when I felt overwhelmed with all I had to do. We are heading to camp tomorrow for a 3 day weekend. I had to cook food, clean up all the messes, pack clothing, laundry, clean house and finish some rocks to take with me, but I got most of it done. Just a few more dishes and I will vacuum and tomorrow I can get last minute things done. The nice thing about camping nearby is we can leave later and only a half hour away. We are camping at the state park on the lake with a spot next to the boat launch, so I plan on relaxing and paddling and getting some bike riding in, this time.

I wasn't doing very well with my painting last week, so I took a few that weren't too bad and finished them up quickly. Not the best, but I am sure, whoever finds them will have fun and that is what counts. I can do the rest, next week, to take on our next trip. Then that will be it, I have lots of quilting and things to make and the holidays will be here before I know it.

I hope  you all have a nice weekend, and prayers for those in the hurricane's path.

Friday this and that!

Another week of projects that haven't gotten finished, but no hurry, and some weeks I just can't push like I usually do.

One thing I did was start painting the rocks I found, a few finished and more than a few, not finished. The lyme is affecting my eyes this week and my arm is still messed up, so it is slow going and I end  up making more messes, and having to fix them, so I do what I can and take a break.

These I did freehand, two are Laurel Burch designs, I have a couple of her quilting books. The other I just drew up, using my quilting chalk pencil. That is nice since I can draw on the design to see how it looks and not worry about following lines since the chalk disappears.

Then I started with one batch and decided to do them all. At this point, I just want to get them done and put the supplies back into my beach room. I have a million things to finish and projects I want to do, so time to get working on my quilting and I need that table back. Painting rocks is fun, but time consuming when you are slow, so later I can do more and maybe do some folk art designs that are simpler. I think doing pumpkins for halloween would be fun and easy to do.

You can see I have some odd shapes, and my brain wasn't working, so I have to remember to relax and just enjoy it and not try so hard, kids will love them.

I also started a punch needle. A free design by, The Old Tattered Flag. Here is the back, not very pretty, but much better on the front;) I wanted it to look like brick on the house, but brighter than I wanted, good thing for walnut stain, that will go on to dull them down and blend them into the house.

And the animals keep me busy, Bean always wants to play and the kitties leave tons of hair and dirty litter boxes for me to clean. But, moments like this, sharing dinner with Bean. Moki is like Bean, he thinks everyone should love him and he loves to say hi to company.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I am hoping to get out more this weekend, great weather for the beach.