Friday Finishes!

This week I was able to work on a few fall pieces. I got last years issues from Punch Needle and Primitive Stitchery. It is nice that you can get back issues at a reduced cost and be able to store them on my computer, instead of finding new spaces for magazines. And I don't have to dust them.

One of the patterns I liked was by Teresa Kogut. This was a fun and simple piece to do and I could use up some scraps. I wish I could figure out how to get better photos, this one I like more in person, than the photo. I did antique it, so it is with brighter colors, but all dulled down with walnut stain.

Another piece I made was a stitchery with a design by Kelley Belfast. I joined a new facebook group called Uncounted Cross stitch. Perfect for someone like me, who cannot count tiny stitches. I traced the design on with a washable marker and filled in, the best that I could. I missed a few holes, and I know I went over the same stitches in some places, but it was fun to try and relaxing, since I didn't have to be perfect.

I made black facial features and realized I couldn't make a black cat, so I did white around the face and then ended up using a dark shade, so that is why he has a weird face, lol. This was on 32 count, I think if I do it again, I will use a 14 count.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Last weekend we did get out, but the foliage isn't peaking yet. We did get to see a bit of color and explored some new areas for fun. Hopefully we can get further out this weekend and find some foliage.

I also love to find old towns with mills and churches, so I will be on the hunt for some new towns, we haven't been in. I also need to remember not to move when I press the shutter, my photos always come out crooked and it makes it tough when I am doing close ups of churches.

Monday Finishes and Weekend Fun!

I wanted to make more pillows and something a bit quicker, so I made printable fabric pillows. I found some free graphics on the internet and printed them out with the printer fabric. I use the June Tailor, washable and colorfast. I heat set them, then rinse in cool water and heat set them again. Not really sure if they are waterproof or washable and I do notice they tend to run with the red ink. After I rinse them, I blot them with a paper towel and that keeps the reds from running too much.

I made the mistake of using a higher resolution on the small pillows, that is why they are smaller. I forgot to change the size to compensate for the resolution. The wagon pillows are done at the lower resolution so they came out the right size. I like the smaller pillows too, they could also work as tree ornaments and if you don't have a real tree, the scent of pine would be nice on the tree.

The thing I don't like is, the fabric is stiff so I had to cut an opening in the back to fill them, that is a pain in the neck. With balsam, it is easier to pour it into the bottom, then sew them closed. I also have to stitch them up and cover the ugly opening I made, so an extra step. It is a nice way to make fun pillows though, and there are lots of free graphics on the internet.

I had Nicholas this weekend so I gave him his new creche to play with. He loves to play with the figures and the start lights and plays Away in a manger, so we heard that a lot, throughout the day.

Sunday he decide he did not want Mommy to leave, so it took me awhile to calm him down, but once he did, he was fine. I decided he needed a table so he had a place to play and a place to eat. He loved the table and played on it all day and loved eating like a big boy.

I guess I will not be online till after Thanksgiving. The kids are coming to our house, after all, so I will be busy cleaning and planning the meal, I have two more days, ugh. I always work better under pressure;) I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family and good food.

This is an old photo from a Thanksgiving at Waterville Valley in NH. They had santa come in on a dog sled and fireworks at night. The holidays will be hard, but I will treasure the memories.

Weekend Fun and Almost Finish!

I am finally at the tail end of the flu that is going around, not something I would wish on anyone. I think I would get better if I could actually sit down and rest, that will never happen, lol.

This weekend I had Nick and Bill worked, but sometimes it is easier when I have him by myself, I am better organized and most of the time, things run smoothly. Since I am still weak, I saved my energy for play time and cooking.

Of course Nick and Bean love play time and nothing better than seeing them playing and having fun to lift my spirits. I am not sure which one of them has more energy, though Bean might be the winner on that one.

Nick found a new game, roll the tire around the yard.

Then he decided to clean up the yard, his wagon was full of leave and he picked up two of Bean's old water jugs. We let Bean play with them in the yard, he loves to push them around and when they get beat up, we have plenty of new ones.

Nick discovered the holes in the fence, wonder what is on the other side?

I realized I needed some rest time too, so I had Bill run out and get Nick a block wagon, it came with blocks and picks them up when you roll it over. He also grabbed an extra bag of blocks that has a wheel base, Nick loved them and played quietly for once. The best thing to keep a busy boy, happy.

On the crafting front, I made a small pillow stitchery, so I had something to keep my hands busy this weekend. The design is free and can be found, as well as others, at Free Christmas Coloring. The designs are great for stitching, punching or appliqué.

I didn't have time today to finish it into a pillow and the blue marker is still on it.

Grandma's Day!

I hope everyone had a nice weekend and weren't in the areas hit by storms. My prayers go out to all of the families that have been affected by them and the devastation they caused.

My son and Nicholas came to visit Sunday, it was nice to enjoy the day with them and Nick always puts a smile on my face.

I didn't really want to celebrate Mother's day, a bit bittersweet for me, but I did want to enjoy it with my son and grandson. I got an idea for the perfect present for me, can you guess what it is?

Nicholas wanted to help too.

Getting it together, Nick made sure everything was in place.

Time for a ride! I got myself a wagon, fun to pull Nick around and you can take the top half off and use it as a utility wagon, perfect for gardening and hauling water buckets out to Dani's tree. We stopped to enjoy my apple tree. Bill put in a nutrient spike and the tree just blossomed with beautiful blooms and the other apple tree was dead looking and now it has blooms too.

Bean was loving it too, he loves having people to play with, but he gets thirsty while running around. Bill fills the bucket with fresh water, so he can have a drink when he needs one. Today was cleaning day, I did more in one day than i have in weeks and I am exhausted, but that is good, I will sleep well tonight.

New Fall Pattern!

I started a new pattern this week but it took me longer to punch it, and I just finished it off today. I do not have the pattern ready yet. When I make a new pattern, I draw out the design I have in mind, then I punch it and change it as I go, so I need to redraw the pattern with the new changes and I need a steady hand for that. I use an artist pen to do the designs, so they print out nicely and I cannot make too many mistakes or ones I can't fix with photoshop;)

I like how it came out in some ways but I also wish I had been able to use variegated threads for this piece and do more of an artistic style with the design. This is something that can be done with or without the extra details and I like to keep things simple for those who want to hook them, as well. This would also work nicely in stitchery or appliqué.

The pattern is an adaptation of an antique quilt appliqué. Do you like ones with more or less detail?
I thought about adding a building but my hands get tired after punching so much. So, would you buy a pattern from a color photo of the design instead of a finished piece? I have thought about doing designs and watercoloring them in for a pattern so I could do better designing. My punching is not what it  used to be so I don't always get the look that I would like, when I first envision a new idea.

I always appreciate your thoughts and I hope you enjoy my newest piece. I made it into a flat piece with a wool backing. This way, I can use double stick rug tape and put it on a basket in the fall. This is a nice idea if you have a basket and want to change out a piece for the seasons.

The colors are off, as far as the primitive look, this was also before I antiqued it. If you look at his hair, you will see I used a longer setting to give him curly locks;)