Friday Finish!

It seems the weeks are zipping by and with Bills 4 day schedule, I get less done. But it is nice that we have more time to get out, and it would be nicer if the weather would be nicer on the days he has off.

I wanted some new projects to work on this week and I was able to make one. There is a group on Facebook called Love and Hugs from Australia, Stitch along. They are offering free patterns from different designers and there is a nice variety to fit everyones taste. I took the ones with inspirational sayings, fun to stitch up and hang on my wall.

This one is a design by Natalie Bird, it was not only fun to do, but a great piece to keep me in a happy mood. I am thinking of going with brighter and fun art pieces in the guest room. I used colored pencils on this one.

I also made masks for the adult kids, these have pockets in them and I made my sons, slightly larger to fit his chubby cheeks, lol. We got to see the kids outside and played kickball with Nick and then Alex grabbed my hand to show me his new clubhouse they are building. It broke my heart to have to let go and hard for him since he doesn't understand why grandma can hug and play with him.

And I wanted to make more masks with pockets, but my brain was on hold and I did things backwards and cut some wrong, but I was able to make 4 with pockets and the quilted one is two layers. I have some ideas to make it easier, so I can try them next.

And we got to spend a few hours at the beach and we had it all to ourselves. The tide was still higher up, but the storms had thrown some nice pieces in the rock piles.

And we got a day of hiking. The Boy Scout camp has a lot of side trails and one led to a place called Dinosaur Caves. They are big but no dixnosaurs, lol. It was 5 miles of hills and rocky gorges, but I made it and then crashed when I got home, my knees are definitely getting crickety.

And on the camping end, our Maine trip is cancelled. They will only allow in state campers, so I have no idea if and when we can go camping. And to top it off, Bill went to the trailer to get something and it stunk. It seems a crack formed on the top vent and it has been leaking for over a month, all over the bedding and mattress. The mattress is ruined, not only does it stink, it is all rusted from the heating elements. We got a price for the trade in, for like new condition, now we may lose money on the deal and honestly, it is their fault. I wanted to take it in months ago, I was afraid something bad would happen and it did. Tomorrow Bill takes it in and we will see what they say, it may still be covered under warranty, so I am hoping that is the case.

I hope you all have a nice weekend, we may have one nice day and then rain, so I hope that changes. The beaches and parks are open, though limited, but I will stay away from those areas and stick to exploring new paths.

Friday Finish!

This week I have been having more done time and the lyme has effected my joints and nerves, so it is hard to do fine work or things that take coordination or strength, so I decided to do some more stitchery.

This time I went though my old files and found a design I had doodled up, years ago and thought it would be a fun one to try. Of course I had to have a saying to go with it and I found an old irish saying and changed the lines a bit.

I was thinking of making it into a design, I need to redo the original and add the saying. I just have to figure out how to get the font to work in the right size and with the photo since my text program had this font and photoshop does not.

As usual I had to do a flash photo, so it tends to be too dark in some areas and too bright in others. I aged it with walnut ink, a fun piece to give as a gift.

It looks like we will be having some stormy weather this weekend, so no outdoor plans. I am so looking forward to warmer weather and long walks on the beach and lots of paddling this summer.

Monday Finish!

I actually finished something, and I am pleased with how it came out. I wanted to make something as a gift, as a thank you, instead of the usual card and this is what I made as a thank you. It really touched me, how many reached out and still do to be there for me and I want to do something that brings them joy, as well. I plan on making more things and things that have meaning to each person, so a bit at a time.

The design is by Jenny of ELEFANTZ and she has more designs for free and sale on her Craftsy Store. I have made her original design in a small quilt and when she offered the design in a stitchery, I thought it would make a wonderful pillow. I liked the appliqué bird on the first design but that was too large, so I modified the designs and made it into a pillow size. I would like to make it smaller, so maybe I will move the words so I can enlarge them and do it in a smaller version with the appliqué.

The finished pillow is about 8" x 7". I stuffed it with stuffing and added lavender inside, as well.

I have been shopping and looking for things to decorate the  beach room. I still need to paint it, but it has been so hot, I just can't get into painting walls, so hopefully I will have more energy when we get back from our trip, next week. I found some stones and sea glass and jar candle holders. I plan on putting the heart stones and things I have collected on a candle box and then the candles, but I am still looking for the perfect sized box. I did find a beach style table with a lipped top, so maybe I can get a table in a white shade like that. I have a small white side table, the white crates and a tan chaise, so I want to keep with the main colors and a mix of blue/greens.

Here are the jars, I was trying them with the stones and glass. The stones in the glass heart are the ones I have collected this summer, so I want something I can put them in and see the different hearts and colors. If you like the jars, I got them at Pier Imports, along with the stones and glass.

Friday Finishes!

This week I finished two things, a stitchery block and the newest ornament of the month.

The ornament is offered by Attic Heirlooms and you can get it for free each month. This month was a candle and I kept it simple, but I may add something to it, later on. Maybe when Christmas buttons come back, I can find something fun to add to them.

The stitchery is a free pattern set, offered by Theodora Cleave. I really love working on these, the designs are fun and they just make me happy when I work on them. There are seven garden blocks, so once I am done, then I will decide a layout for them.

This week I have been looking at vacation places. We had planned on a vacation to celebrate our 40th anniversary, now I just want to get away and relax so trying to find something on the water, allows dogs and doesn't cost a fortune. I also like a nice kitchen and bed, I am not into dirty places;) So, at this rate, I may not find anything or if I do, it will be booked for that week. I have found some but it seems they never answer my emails, not too sure how good home away is?

Memorial Wall Hanging!

When I started my daughter's pillow, I was going to go with stitchery, for the saying, but I realized it was too big and it would take too long, so I put it away. This week I took it out and finished it into a wall hanging for one of her friends, who has lost her dad and grandmother this year. She is one of the ones who gave me the painting and she said she wanted to put the saying on it, but there wasn't any room so I thought I would make something similar for her with the saying and less painting.

I stitched the stitchery first, then I used Rit dye to color in the background. I added water and brushed it on with a tan for the sand, then a green/blue for the sea and a light blue/white for the sky. It worked nicely and the colors came out the way I wanted, but once I dried it, everything lightened up. I left it as is, now it has hints of color and I think with the saying it is a nice touch.

I used Janet Clare's line of Hearty Good Wishes, the perfect print for an ocean scene, then I added the hand stitched seagulls as a last addition. The finished piece is a little over 12". Not my best sewing, but I think she will like it.

Valentine Pillow!

I have been fighting the flu that seems to have hit most of us, so resting at home and working on some small projects. One of my favorite places to find free patterns is Primitive Blessings. Tiffany has a lot of free patterns with all types of designs.

One trick I use when I make stitched pillows is to put a piece of batting behind the muslim, so I get a nice quilted look and it hides the stitches better, so they don't show through. After I finished the pillow, I added walnut spray to give it a nice aged look.

What I like about this design, is that it is simple to stitch up and you can change the sayings if you wanted.