Friday Finishes!

 This week I was able to finish two items. I like doing small projects while I work on the larger ones. They are simple to do and something fun to do, while I watch tv.

One item is another heart. I do enjoy making rag rugs and a heart is a quick way to make one. 

I also made another small mat for my table. This one I used precuts with a spring look. These are fun to do and I think I will make one for summer with my nautical or seagull prints.

We also got a chance to take Bean with us for a ride to the beaches. It was too cold to be out long, but we got out in certain places and let him roam a bit.

I also caught a few birds along the way.

Along the route we stopped at the college campus beach. 

I was also able to get a shot of the lighthouse, from a different view point. When I opened the photo to see it, I was surprised at the shapes in the doorway. 

One afternoon we had the boys, while dad went shopping. They spent the time trying out my instruments. Nick seems to pick up anything and play it by ear, Alex is getting the hang of following notes.

Today we stopped to see if we could spot the Eagles, none in sight. I did spot a Hawk hanging out in a tree by the pond.

I hope you all had a nice Valentines. I do not celebrate it, too commercialized for me. Weather is coming in tomorrow, so we won't be able to get out too much. 

Friday Finish, fun and not so fun!

 

This has been one of those weeks, but I was able to finish one project I had started. It is a design by Robin Leuschen of Bird in the Hand Primitives. I used the main design and made a lavender sachet. It was a fun piece to do for Spring.

We didn't do a lot on the weekend, the weather hasn't been the greatest, but we had a nice day for a ride and headed into Connecticut. We took a loop ride to check out a few pond areas, but no birds or areas that we could get into without walking in the cold. 

So what did we see? Something you wouldn't expect along the roadway, a dinosaur.

And a Teradactyl on a roof. It is a place called Dinosaur Village, the kids have been inside so we may go again with the boys, when they reopen.

Another thing in the village is a large antique mall, a great place to explore on a cold day. We spent hours and I saw a lot of great items, but a bit pricey for me. But I did come home with a few goodies.

And on the way back home, we made a few stops at local lakes and parks.

And then things went downhill. I wanted to rest on Monday, wasn't feeling great and my injuries were acting up, but that was not to be. I woke up to voices, my husband and son. My son was nice enough to go pick Bill up from the hospital so I wouldn't have to. Bill was on his way to work and stopped for coffee and slipped on the ice at the shop, so now he is laid up. 

We had to wait for permission to get an MRI, so that happens on Tuesday and we will find out what the damage is. So, I am back to taking care of everything that I can and luckily my son is good about helping and I discovered online shopping for food. Not as good as what we pick out, but easier on me since I cannot lift too much.

I hope everyone has had a better week and it won't be long before Spring is here.

Friday Finishes!

I hope this posting finds you all doing well. I know for most of you, Easter will not be what you planned, we are eating alone, but I ordered fresh clams for tomorrow and plan on making chowder and clambakes. It is something we both love, so at least we can enjoy a special meal and hopefully some FaceTime with the kids.

I kept busy this week, finishing one project that I needed to make some fixes on. I used what I had and wished I had gone and gotten more light blues, I think the design would have stood out more. I also forgot on some places to raise the heights, so some are higher than. others. But, it came out ok and it was a fun project, even though it took longer than most.

The design is by Michelle Palmer and it was in an older issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher. I like that you can order online issues, and they do have a lot of nice patterns. By ordering a past year,  you save money.

Another project I finished is a free stitchery by Theodore Cleave. This one I left as is, I wanted it to be bright and happy. I also added the word hope, we all need that.

It is getting harder to find places to hike. Last weekend we went to a cemetery, which was nice and quiet and we found some interesting buildings, as well. Then people started coming in and we left.

Then we went back to the Boy Scout area, it was crowded and the roads and trail heads were packed with cars, so we kept going. Down a side road we found another hiking trail to a pond and no people, so we got to enjoy a walk by ourselves.

And on the way home, we went down another back road and found this wonderful fishing area, which is also where you can rent kayaks and paddle up river, we are definitely coming back.

And we did something at home, I got a new barn wood wall in the guest room. The wall was horrid and this way I can hang quilts and my paintings. I set up my desk from my beach room and will work on a new painting next week. Bill is going on 4 day shifts so they can keep the shifts apart, so that means he will be home more and I will have a place I can hide away in.

May you all be blessed with good health, as well as your families.

Friday Finish!

My finish today was supposed to be my stocking quilt. I need to put sashings on the new ones and then put them together. That way I can see how large it is and if I need more, I think I will just keep it as a large lap quilt.

But, my shoulder went out and I have a bit of a flu bug, so I decided to work on a punch needle. I enjoy doing punch since there is little work to put one together and I have all my floss in boxes so I can sit and relax, without having to look for things.

This design is from Tonya of Mad Hen Primitives, in the Spring 2016 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects. It is a rug hooking pattern so I scanned in the finished photo and drew from design from that. I added the words for fun, something happy to work on.

I was doing well until my needle broke, the little plastic sides that hold it in the holder. So, I found another and was working but then the holder broke. Luckily I have two, so I used the other, but with the bad needle, I realized after that the punching is a different height, but it still looks ok. I had Bill order me a new one with prime so it comes in tomorrow. I do miss punching and designing, so maybe while I am camping I can come up with some new designs.

We plan on camping next weekend, today it was snowing again, lol. But, the weather looks nice on Saturday and Monday, and maybe rain on Sunday, so I am hoping it stays away. Hopefully I can get my quilt together this weekend so I can hand quilt it at camp.

The pillow is 5 1/2" x 5" and finished off with a piece of rug yarn. I bunch it up, as I sew it on to get the bumpy edge.

Monday Finishes!

This weekend I was stuck at home, so I got a few things done. I also worked on my angel painting, but for some reason the crackle I got, did not work. I ordered some of the crackle that is used in the tutorial, so hopefully I can fix the mess I made.

I also wanted to make some little boy bunnies. I could not find my old pattern, so I used a photo that I had of my wall quilt and remade it into a drawing. The design is adapted from Twigs and Sprigs. I used fabric markers on this one, so I will tell you how each one worked.

For the yellow and red colors, I used Tee Juice. I didn't realize how small the tips were, so it took longer to cover the areas. It went on  nicely and I liked the look, but it ran when I had to wet the piece to get rid of the blue marks. The purple, green and pink were tulip fabric markers. I did not like them. They went on roughly and seemed more dry, especially the green, so I would not buy those again. They also run. I think I will stick to my Faber Castell markers. They cost more, but they dry fast, can be washed and are archival.

I made them for the boys, for fun, so I am sure they won't mind if they are not perfect.

Another project I worked on was, my cubby base. Bill made it for me, it is a bit bigger and heavier than I needed, but it will do and has an extra area to store more art supplies. To stain the piece, I used Varathane weathered wood accelerator. I love how it works. I got a quart and only used half. All you do is brush it on, and it ages the wood. The color depends on the wood type, but it usually grays them and it is the perfect shade to go with the top cubby, that I bought. It is watery so you need an area you can work on, I used large sheets of painters paper under my piece. You can use a cheap brush and the Verathane is cheaper than other stains, so a good deal to get that weathered look.

I put some paints in the cubby, have more to store. I also found the two green bottles today, so I stored my glass in those.

I hope everyone is able to stay out of the storm heading our way tomorrow, looks like we are due for a bad one. I was able to get out this morning and find a nice batch of glass from the dog beach. I knew there would be more with the storms and it was nice to get out in the fresh air, for a little while.

The flash messed up the colors. The two pieces are a medium, dark gray and the white crates are antiqued so not as white, as they appear.

The Ugly Angel: Free Pattern!

I wanted to try an angel and I found a wonderful pattern by CatNap Primitives. She also has a free bunny and other wonderful patterns are reasonable prices. It is a freebie offered on her site, at Patternmart.  If you click on the main menu for patterns, click on free and you will find a lot of other free patterns. I like the idea of making my own but I wanted to try some simple dolls and techniques to get some practice in, it's been a while since I have made dolls.

The original pattern is for a tree top angel, but I wanted to make it for spring, so I changed it up a bit. Then I decided to make a satchel bag to hold flowers, but I made a mess of that. I plan on making a calico one to replace it. It was fun to make, but I definitely need practice on my stitched mouths. I think it would be fun to make them as gifts and customize them, to fit the personality and tastes of the person who receives them, so I will have to work on some of my own ideas. I do have doll patterns and a doll clothing book so I can do different styles.

Another mistake I made is, I forgot, if you wet the piece first, do not saturate it with stain, it tends to pull up in blobs. I was able to tone it down a bit by rinsing it back out.

Tomorrow we are getting a storm. It was a blizzard, then a storm, then it went from 15" down to 6" in our area, so I am not complaining. But, we all know weather has a mind of it's own, so we shall see how bad it gets. Of course I had to get out for supplies, crafting ones, lol. Today we got food items so we are all set. I hope everyone stays safe and warm if you are in the storm's path.

Monday Work and Wanderings!

The fun thing about a new month is a new design from Kathy, from her One Stitch at a Time Club. This month was a fun spring design and it was something nice that I could work on this weekend and finish today.

I Colored in the bee black and yellow with my art markers, I like the touch of color. I also added the saying. I think this would be a fun inspirational piece for someone who needs a lift, during a bad time. I also added some lavender so I can use it as a sachet, as well.

My flash was acting up, so I had a hard time getting a good shot.

I also realized that I forgot something on my new bunny piece. I forgot his whiskers. I wanted to add them last, so the good thing was, I could add them on with a needle. They are not permanent, but I like how it gives it a 3D look.

Saturday Bill was sick again, so we stayed home and he rested. On Sunday I wanted to get out so we took a ride to Connecticut, so we could enjoy the views from the car, it was cold out. We sat for awhile and watched the boats coming and going, the ferry coming in and a fishing boat, going out.

As we drove out, I noticed the college, it is an extension of UConn for Marine studies. The grounds are beautiful and they have a lot of beautiful old stone buildings, so we drove in and took a look around.

This is the Branford House Mansion, now it is used for weddings and other venues and you are allowed to walk around the grounds. The bad thing is, the geese leave messes all over, so you have to watch where you walk, lol. You can see the moon, up above.

There is also a small lighthouse on the grounds and the perfect place to enjoy the views of Long Island sound. It was nice to get out and nice to see something new, I will definitely go back when it is warmer. I couldn't get great photos since my fingers were freezing. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Monday Finish and Fun!

I never seem to get much done on the weekend, I work better when I am by myself but I managed to get some stitching done and finish today. This was the last block for the free Garden Blocks by Theodore Cleave, but she added two new ones that fit with the pieces. I will see what I have so far and how they look together and what size I have, then I can decide if I want to add more to the quilt.

Another idea I had was to make two quilts with at least four blocks each, so the next step is to try them out and see what versions look best. I am using tea stained muslin for the backgrounds.

We got to spend a little time with Nick this weekend while his dad was getting a few things done. He always puts a smile on my face and he and Bean are becoming best friends. Nick has finally got the hang of throwing and Bean was enjoying some extra play time.

This week I will be doing photos of Nick and the family and reducing them to fit in a mini booklet I found. I thought it was a fun activity to add to his backpack with photos he can go through and photos of us to see while he is away. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

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.

Monday Finishes!

I was able to get in some sewing time this weekend and finished one piece, made another and started to finish a UFO.

The first piece is a design by Plumcute Designs. This was one of the free designs in the Buttermilk Basin spring hop. The original design is in a small hoop. I planned on putting mine on a wood heart, but the piece was too big for my heart. So, I went with a simple square pillow and added the saying.

I added a bumpy yarn by using  two strands and gathering it, as I went around to get a full decorative border. I added a cord so I could hang it on my peg rack at the top of the stairs.

This next piece is a free design from the Wool Applique group on Facebook. Trish from Attic Heirlooms is offering the designs and she also offers them on her website, but you have to get them during that month. I am making mine over sized because I will be hanging them on a line with clothespins, for a Christmas garland.

Another project that I have been wanting to do is a Christmas runner with blocks that my friend Lauri sent me. I finally got it into my head, how I should have sewed them to get them even, after I was finished, lol. I do not take things apart, so the uneven edges will stay;)

The middle section is white so I am trying to decide, if I quilt it, how should I quilt it and what design. I wanted to hand stitch it with black threads but not sure if i can do a nice design that way. Or, should I put an appliqué in that section? Would love suggestions.

I bought material to match it, but I wonder if it is too light? What do you think of the border fabric? It is more tan than the middle sections, but I plan on tea staining the piece, so the middle will be darker in the end. I hate to buy more fabric but I could also go with a dark red or green for the border?

Friday Finish!

I have been having fun following the spring blog hop, hosted by Buttermilk Basin. This week I finished  a cute bunny mat, designed by Jeni from the Willows. It was an easy project and I love how it came out. The only problem is, I used a soft, thin wool for the border and that was a mistake. The cuts are made to emulate grass and as I ruffled it up, some of the pieces pulled off. So, I put the egg on that section and it is ok for now, next year I can take it apart and put a thicker backing on.

It is a bit white washed from the flash. But I wanted the colors of the other wools to show so the white is glaring and the floss is brighter, than it actually is.

If you haven't seen the Spring Hop, the patterns for each day are still available and well worth a look.

This week I noticed my oven was not working right and I would smell gas, then it took a few minutes for it to start. Then I told Bill to check it and it wasn't working at all, so, no oven this week. We went to the store and picked one out, it would take a month to get so I said no. Then I saw another that was the same except for the looks, but it did the same things and had the fifth burner, so that is coming next week. The bad thing is, I make cookies as a snack food. They are healthy since I don't use sugar but I cannot make them and I need to snack, lol. Today I tried some fried chips. I mixed white and brown flour, along with cornmeal and fried them. They taste really good but a bit greasy, so I need to modify the recipe to make it healthier, but a nice idea for summer snacks too.

New Punchneedle Design: Antique Ducks and Winner!

I finished my new piece this week and I am please with how it came out. It is so hard to get the true colors in a photo, but I love the contrast between the dark background and the brighter design.

I had an idea of doing it with a hit or miss star and more prim shades and making it into a rug, for my niece who got a large dollhouse last Christmas. I will have to see how she has decorated it so far and then I can make some rugs to fit her style.

The design is done in punch needle and comes in an epattern with a color photo, basic colors and instructions, as well as a line drawing of the design, so you can reduce or enlarge to fit your project.

The finished pillow is 6 1/2" X 5". It is an adaptation of an antique rug and could be done in wool appliqué, as well.

And now for the winner of the free pattern. The winner is Lecia of Farmhouse Prims! Lecia, email me with your choice of epattern or booklet and congratulations.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and are not in the path of the storm, that is coming our way.
And for this weekend, if you buy any one of my epatterns, you get one for free. The free pattern must be of equal or less value, as the one you bought, so great time to get some patterns for the coming seasons. To get your free pattern, put the name in the comment section of your order.

The piece is more prim and muted in person, the flash tends to pick up certain colors and make them pop. I also made my piece a bit off centered, but the pattern has been modified and straightened.

Friday Finish and Winner!

I finally finished my first robin piece. It is a design by Sarah Sporrer. The pattern was given to me by my friend Karen, along with some of her older patterns in the monthly series. It was fun to work on and a nice piece to hang for spring.

I added a few extra words on mine, the chirr-up is what a robin call sounds like and is said to sound like  cheer up, so I thought that would be fun to add. I hope you enjoy my newest piece. It is much darker and prim in person.

It is raw edge with fusible, and I hand quilted the piece with dmc floss, thought it is hard to see in some places. Also, the robin is standing on a carrot. I saw the design and saw a carrot, then I actually read the directions and saw that it said white for the snow, lol. So, somehow my brain came up with a carrot instead of snow, but I think it makes it fun;)

And now for the winner.... The winner is .......... Jacquie! Please email me with your choice of epattern from my ecrater site. I had fun reading all of your ghost stories and I think we all have similar stories and folk lore in our areas.

I wish you all a wonderful Easter and blessings no matter what spiritual path you follow.

Friday Finishes giveaway!

This week I worked on a wall hanging, using a design by Jennie of Elefantz. She offered this design on her blog and you can still find the free design, along with other inspirational sayings. They are wonderful designs to make for a friend who could use some comforting words.

I wanted to get an outdoor photo but it was too windy today. The fabric I used is a dark red/purple, so it all depends on your computer screen. I did the fabric appliques with raw edge fusible.

Another thing I did was a small fraktur piece. I found a pack of watercolor postcards and wanted to try one with a simple design. I used watercolor pencils and then I used a bit of gloss medium on the colors so I could antique the background and it kept the colors from running but with flash it cast off too much glare. I was thinking this would be fun to do and send to friends, but not sure how well the card would hold up, especially if it got wet or torn. I usually use regular watercolors so I can get better colors and shading, but this was a practice run to see if I could keep my hands steady for the ink outlines and painting, not too bad for a rush piece.

For the next one, I will antique the paper first, then use a spray finish to protect the whole card. Would you like to be a card tester? Leave a comment that you would like to receive this card and I will pick a winner and announce it on Monday night. I will mail the card to the winner and we shall see if it holds up or gets ruined in the post. Sorry, but this giveaway is for US post, only.

Friday Finishes and New Pattern!

First of all, I hope you will all bear with me, as I practice making blog backgrounds. I had one made years ago and have no idea who made it, so I cannot figure out how to remove the middle color so I can balance it all out, but someday I will figure it out;)

This week I wanted to make something new and fun so I started doodling and B is for Bunny was the result. He was fun to make and has a wonderful character to put a smile on your face, we all need that this winter. He is a nice piece to do in any medium and can be done in a prim style or even for a babies room.

I wanted to keep my piece simple so you could see the design clearly but between my bad punching and the fact that I raised the height and forgot to put it down, it has a sculpted, scrappy look. Even with all his flaws, he is a fun piece and by using the bumpy yard around him, he makes a nice pillow.

If you would like to make your own bunny piece,  you can get my newest Epattern by clicking on the link to the left or visiting my ecrater site.

Another piece I finished this week was a smaller rag wreath. This one I used homespuns that I didn't want to use for quilting since they were too thin, but perfect for a wreath. I also tried staining bright pink flowers for my larger wreath and one came out a darker color, so I added that and a few items to decorate the new wreath.

Friday Finish: Rabbit Wall Hanging

This week I worked on a small piece to hang on the wall. I enjoy doing smaller pieces, something I can work on while I relax and finish in time to enjoy for the season. I really like this design, it reminds me of a Warren Kimble painting and looks nice on the wall.

The design is by Sarah Sporrer  and part of her Folk Quilt of the Month. The patterns are older but if you do a search for her patterns, there are still some for sale. I was lucky enough to get some of her patterns from my friend Karen. You can see the bird piece as her banner, I think I will do that one next.

I decided to try something different with mine. I used the yarn dyed japanese taupes for the appliqués and some older fabric that was similar in weight for the background. I really like how it came out and I think this design would look nice in a pair with different color schemes.

I cropped some of the border so I could get a closer look at the details on the fabric. The appliques are a black shade but the flash left it a bit lighter. For the applique, I used  lana wool thread, which appears white as well as the green for the date, flash is not a quilts friend. For the words, I used a #5 dmc cotton thread, I like how it sewed, and shows up nicely on the background.

If you would like something fun to do for the week, Kaaren has her Friday Freebie and it is a fun piece to do for Easter. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

And today is my son's birthday, he turned 32 today. I found this photo of us when we went climbing up Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire. He was almost two and Bill and I took turns carrying him up the mountain, he was that light.

Make it Monday: Springtime Candle Mats

When I have time or need a rest, I love to browse blogs and find new designs that I can make and share with others. Last week I found two wonderful circle designs that were perfect for spring and you can make them too.

To make a candlemat, I trace the design on light colored fabrics and stitch with DMC floss. When it is finished, I use a clear plastic lid that is larger than the piece and trace the circle around the design. Then I mark off a half inch with dots around the circle and cut out along that line. This gives you sewing allowance and room to add an outer stitch. I also use a piece of batting and do the stitchery with that on,  it gives more definition and hides any stitches you need to carry.

The design for this mat can be found at Crafting With Jack. He actually has two, so you can make one for yourself and one for a friend, they make wonderful gifts.

On this piece I used tea stained muslin and Distress it. It was nice since I didn't water it down, but you do have to use more of it to get a bit of staining.

On this mat I used white Kona since I wanted to use a gold for the flowers. It was also stained with Distress it. I think I like this one the best, the colors show up nicely and the dragonfly is a nice little touch. You can find this design at Humming Needles.

This weekend my husband was sick and my daughter was home and I was sick and taking care of them, so we stayed in and rested. I got a bit bored so I decided to amuse myself, or should I say Izzy. She was so funny and when the birds flew away she was looking up and around for them.

Spring Wreath!

I finished making the wreath with the fabrics I showed you, then I had to decide how to decorate it. I decided to go with a vintage Easter pillow, but it didn't work out like I wanted. I used the print and press and a design that I found at Graphics Fairy. She has a lot of wonderful vintage designs that you can use for printing and making into decorations for your home.

The first design was ruined, not sure what happened, but it did not peel off properly and half the design was ruined, so I made another. I made another that worked this time, I pressed harder on the floor and I think that helped. I thought the design was large enough but once I set it inside the wreath it didn't fit snuggly, which I wanted so it would stay put.

I put the pillow on the wreath and added some flowers to show how the wreath looks. I am thinking that I may make a large sitting bird for it, what do you think would look nice on it? I wanted to do something for Easter, than change that out for spring so I could use it longer. Another idea I had was to print out vintage ornaments and tie them around the wreath.

I have it here on a wall, once I finish it, I will hang it on the front door.

Our house is full of the flu, my daughter had it, gave it to me and now my husband has it, so hopefully this will be the last one for the season. One thing that is nice when you are sick is to have wonderful friends who think of you and send surprises in the mail. It really made my days to have some wonderful new things that I can work with to make new creations with. It warms my heart to know my friends are thinking of me.

I have been practicing with my needle felting but realized I don't have many colors for animals, or fun colors for other projects. My friend Laurie spins her own yarns and uses roving and sent me some unspun rovings from her stash and a lot of her hand dyed, so I will be able to make some new critters now. The funny thing is, something she uses in the roving is something that makes Moki crazy, I found him and the box on the floor and he was rolling around in it, lol. It is now safely locked away from him.

There is roving under the roving, a whole box full. This will keep me busy for a long time.

 Today I received another package from my friend Mary. She knows I love to work with wool and had a pattern and wool kit that she was not going to use, so she passed it along to me. Not only was I surprised by such a wonderful gift but it is the same pattern and kit that I saw the other day and wanted to make, so I was thrilled.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.