Friday Finish and Freebie!

This week I was able to get a few projects done. I got some new colored pencils and wanted to try them out. I wanted to get the inktense, but they are expensive. I ended up getting Faber Castell's Goldfaber pencils. They are 1.49 a pencil, which is nice since you can choose the colors you want and not waste on colors like white or black. For black I prefer to use their ink markers.

The first piece I made was a design by Cheryl Seslar. I traced the design with a washable embroidery pen, then colored it in with the pencil. The material is a stiff white, that I got for punch needle, but it is too stiff and loosely woven. It was ok, but a bit scratchy for coloring on.

Once I finished that, I used fabric medium and a bristle brush to move the colors around. When wet, they do blend in, so nice for more detailed projects when you want to add shading and mix colors. This was a practice piece, so I kept it simple.

It was too white for my tastes, so I used antique medium afterwards and there was no bleeding of the colors.

The second piece is a free design by Lori Brechlin. I really loved this one, the fabric was darker and softer, so the pencils colored more smoothly. I will have to try different fabrics and techniques, in future projects.

Here are two pieces that I used to try their colorfastness on. The flower was done with a fabric medium, the heart was just colored, so medium used. Once dry, I washed them in dish soap and scrubbed a little, then let dry. As you can see, no color bled out, so either way will work.

This was done with the bad weavers cloth, so you don't get the nicer look that you do on cotton.

Since I love making things from freebies, I decided to make one of my own. I found this saying and it was perfect for Valentines day. I did use the cheap fabric on this too, a good way to use it up. For the stitching I used black #12 pearl cotton. It is a fun and simple project you can do over the weekend.

I hand wrote the saying, so you could do one of your own. It is not exactly like mine, I tend to change things as I go. With primitive stitchery, you want your letters to be a little wonky. I did forget when I was recopying the e's on the third line, so just remember to pull the end down more. You can stitch t he hearts, do appliqué or use buttons, as well. 

And as an added bonus, I found a template online and added the saying inside. You can change it around if you want or add something to the empty spaces, but I wanted to give you one with the shape, that you can use to print out and have fun one.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Finish and Finds!

Last weekend we got out for a little shopping. On one of the back roads we travel is a small thrift store, that is packed with goodies. I always like to stop to see if I can find any new treasures. It seems someone was destashing, so I was able to get some patterns for only a few dollars.

I always like jar quilts and this way I have all different types that I can use in projects. The angels are cute and I will probably use them, in small projects. Of course the nativity is great to make for gifts. And the stitchery is a nice saying and the first one I did.

I did it on linen and then antiqued it. I am not sure if I want to frame it or make it into a pillow. As a gift, pillows are easier to make and send. What do you think?

I was also on the hunt for fabric, that matched the nautical piece, that my friend Karen sent me. You would think with all the blues, it would have been easy to find something that matched it, but most blues were too bright and the one I found that was an exact match was a fat quarter. Then I found this, I love the fake wood, goes nice with a nautical look and the darker shade will be a border edge. What do you think of my choices?

I may add a saying or some appliqué to the barn wood blues. I will be adding more to the top and bottom of the quilt, to add more length.

And last week I won a contest and received it this week. It was hosted by Doreen of, Vermont Harvest Folk Art. A wonderful bundle of goodies to use for new projects, wonderful scented candles and a gift certificate. I will have to use the wool threads in a special project.

I also decided to get back to my paintings. Not the best timing, my back and arm are getting worse, so I have a hard time keeping my hand steady and not dropping things. Time to make an appointment with a specialist, before I loose function. I am doing touch ups and adding a few more details, as well as a saying. I am not sure on the lettering, I am leaning towards a shadow outline to make it stand out better. I will be sanding and antiquing the piece, so I can always hide any flubs that I make.

I based it on a photo I took, it is simple and a cloudy day. I may add a little detail to the ground, even though there is none in the photo.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stay safe if you are in the storm areas.

Friday Finish and Finds!

This week I finally finished my snowmen and geese piece. But, I am not sure I like how it looks, some areas are too dark and not enough contrast in some, so the geese get lost. I am thinking on it, I also don't like the off white I used in the clouds, seems too yellow for a winter sky. I may fix a few things, but not go too crazy.

I like the green in the trees, it is an over dyed floss that I did. The darker area is a mix of brown to green that I also overdid, but maybe too dark. This is a design by Michelle Palmer.

My piece is 8.5 x 10.5, an inch shorter on the sides since I cropped a bit of the background, on mine.

I have been busy, getting the rest of Christmas down and cleaning up as I go, so I needed a rest day. I decided to make another punch by Michelle, this one is a free design. You can get a copy on her site or the punch needle sites. I changed the colors a bit, I use what I have, and I do like how the variegated red looks in the background.

While I was cleaning, I found this piece, at the bottom of my chest, hidden beneath a ton of fabrics. This was probably one of the first, so called quilts, that I made. No idea what I was thinking, it is a rose flannel and the squares and hearts are felt. I blanket stitched them on, so not exactly a practical material for a quilt. The flannel is nice though, half is unfinished, but I think if I rip off the blocks, it may ruin the flannel, will have to try one. The flannel would make a nice backing for a baby quilt.

And we got a day of treasure hunting in. I basically scan the length of the beach areas, hunt a little and once my hands go numb, we quit, lol. I was thrilled to find the two pieces of turquoise at the bottom. No beach hunting this weekend, it is below freezing and I need to go treasure hunting in the consignment stores, my house looks sad without the decorations and it was time to get rid of old junk, so hoping to find a few new things to decorate with.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Finish and Finds!

This week was short with the holiday, but I found time to work on a new project and get out for some exploring.

This design is by Kathy Schmitz for her One Stitch Club and it was a fun one to do. I used Faber Castell art pens to color it in. A fun piece for Spring.

We were able to get out on the weekend, one day for a ride down to the ocean and on the road, I was surprised to see a Barred owl sitting in a tree. He didn't seem to mind me taking photos and was more interested in what was scurrying around in the swamp, nearby.

We also got to spend the day at the beach, glass collecting. The temperature was nice but the wind was blowing a bit too hard. It picked up while we were there and was blowing me down the beach, so we had to give up, but I found some nice treasures.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Holiday Happenings!

It's been a whirlwind week, with getting everything ready for Christmas, but we were able to spend a few days outside and do some beach combing for a few hours, even though it was a bit chilly. And the wonderful thing about being on the beach in the late afternoon, is the sunsets. We stayed long enough to enjoy a beautiful sunset over the bay.

We found a lot of new glass pieces, that you can get in a craft store. I am assuming someone lost a garden display with all the wind we had and it floated to our beach.

We had the kids at our house on Christmas eve. We enjoyed a nice dinner and I let the kids open one of their big presents.

Nick loved the new floor piano and Alex was more interested in all the pretty lights and things he could pull off the shelves.

And Bean wanted to open one of his presents. Alex wanted to help and was disappointed when I said it was for Bean, a big blue octopus.

Christmas was spent at their house. The kids made dinner and I played with the boys, so it was a nice treat to relax and enjoy time with them. Although I wouldn't call it relaxing, both boys want my attention so a bit chaotic, to keep up with them. But, a joy that is worth a few sore muscles, lol.

I got Nick a view master, but found out that the reels are expensive and hard to find, so I will look for more in the thrifts and yard sales. If anyone has any old reels they don't want, I would love to have them.

I really wanted to rest, but the boys wanted to go to the aquarium, the next day, so we went. It was fun seeing the look of wonder and awe on Alex's face, since it was his first time. Again, it was chaotic, but a joy to see them both enjoying themselves and having fun together.

I stayed home for a few days, no rest, lots to catch up on and clean. I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday week and a Happy New Year!

Friday Finishes!

I hope everyone is enjoying the last week before the busy holiday weekend. I have been taking it easy and working on projects, before I run around to get the house clean and food prepared.

The first thing I finished was a nativity pillow with a design by Cheri Payne. It was a fun piece to do and worked up quickly, so I can use it in time for Christmas. The design is free and in the files at Cheri's group, Quilts by Cheri on Facebook.

The next pillow is a design from an older book by Kindred Spirits. I took the saying from one design and the snowmen, from another. I realize it is a bit cockeyed, but that is ok, my brain seems to be that way lately.

And I got back to working on my punch needle, a design by Michelle Palmer. And with my backwards brain, I realized I forgot to reverse it, the design is supposed to be facing the other way, which is the way I liked it. Of course I got too much done to redo it, and took me this long to notice, lol. I took a phone photo, so the colors are a bit off and I will wait till I am done, then I can decide what doesn't look right and fix it.

And I have been the recipient of some wonderful gifts this week. One thing is a real Native American flute, from my sister. When she was here, I told here I loved the smaller one, that she had, much better for my small hands. Well, she sent me this beautiful flute that is larger and fatter than the one I have, so I am having a hard time playing it. I don't want to hurt her feelings, so I am practicing every day and hopefully I can coordinate my fingers and breath to stop squeaking so much.

And an unexpected gift from my friend Kelley was a beautiful quilt, made by her mother. Her mom became a part of my life, through stories and gifts she would send each year and I would make a few things just for her. She made this quilt for Kelley and now Kelley wanted me to have it, a gift from the both of them. It is something I will treasure, as well as their friendship through the years.

“May you be blessed

With the spirit of the season, which is peace,

The gladness of the season, which is hope,

And the heart of the season, which is love.”

Merry Christmas to you all!

Friday Finishes!

This week I was able to spend more time working on my projects, so I was able to finish one, make a quick one and start a new one. It is nice to relax a bit and just enjoy the season and make a few new things for fun.

I finished the pillows, a pattern from All Through the Night. I love the preprinted fabric, but find it a pain to sew on. But, it is still worth it, love how the prints look, behind the stitchery and wool. I realize that they are not all the same size, guess I should have trimmed by measuring from the cutting line.

The snowman was a free pattern and I changed it a bit. He looks good sitting by the box and just the right height to be seen. The original was actually a floor size, but I like the smaller version. I also found the Christmas box at at the craft store and like how it looks with the pillows. The dividers make it hard to display them nicely, I may take them out for next year.

I also started something new. I still had leftover gift money on etsy and finally used it. I love Michelle Palmer's designs, she is the one who offered the free fox. I fell in love with this design when I saw it and it is so fun to punch. It is large, 11" x 8.5, so I am not sure if I will finish by Christmas, but I am taking my time and enjoying the process and later if things need fixing, I can change them. Not sure on some of the shading and detail on areas that need more definition, but I can wait to see how it looks, all together.

And here is what I have done so far, using what colors I have and added some height to the cuffs and areas around the hat. I am thinking this would be fun to mount on a peg board, that I can use to hang stockings from, for next year.

I finished decorating but seem to see things, I just have to have. Last week it was another church, a prim tree and a snowman piece, I really need to stay out of stores, lol. It is just too fun to decorate for when the boys come over, Alex is at the age where everything is magical.

Here is a little of what I have around the house.

I also like lights and a bit of glitter. The house is on top of the kitchen cabinet and the creches are on my other shelves. Please ignore the beehive cookie cutter, I forgot I put it there, it goes in the craft room. I have an idea for it, with needle felting, another project for next year.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a week filled with joy and peace.