Welcome to my Blog!! I will chat about embroidery, sewing and gardening!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

A bunting we will go!!

     Wow spring is finally hitting my neighborhood!!  The rain has finally stopped and trees are getting ready to
burst with blooms and leaves.  Yesterday I actually got work done in the back yard and mowed the lawns.
Cleaned off the patio of sticks and leaves.  I hope sometime this week I can make it over to the nursery to buy some veggie plants and some annuals for my empty pots on the patio.  We just added to our family two baby Ameraucana chicks.  These birds will eventually lay greenish blue eggs.  It takes about 4 months of maturity before a hen will start to lay.  So I'm thinking August.  Our other hens lay lovely shades of brown eggs, sometimes flecked.  So here they are Blossom (left) and Cornflake on the right.


Our dog Coco is like a hovering Mom over these new little ones.

Here are some Scandinavian Stitches inspired houses I did.  These are a lot of fun to
make and easy.


And another napkin done.  My first time really attacking the satin stitch
the proper way.  This pattern was fun because of all the different layers and
types of stitches I could do.

While waiting for spring to finally show up!  This weekend I made this bunting w/bright springy
colors and floral prints.  It now hangs in my living room over the windows.  I meant
for it to go outside, but I may have to make another one for out there.

And for my daughter a bunting as well :)  I couldn't resist.  There are
so may cute fabrics that I could do in her room.
Have a lovely week!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Scandinavian Stitches!!!♥

    We were pretty much rained out all weekend!  So I tackled my new book Scandinavian Stitches by
Kajsa Wikman :))  I've had this book about a week and it's been driving me crazy.  I want to try so many projects inside.  I love her style and simplicity, bold colors and free motion stitching.



The project I really wanted to try first is the bird art quilt!
My attempt, and I am a complete beginner....

This mini art quilt was really fun.  I still have to master the free motion quilting thing.  I think I need to use a different foot on my machine.  So now I'm trying to decide what project of hers to try next!
My daughter made these cute little mice this weekend.  Her own pattern she tells me and it is.  She's eight.


I think there really cute :)

Also I stitched up this napkin this weekend, Chandelier oh yea!


And finally my finished octopus!  Lots of fun to stitch.
This was a stitch along, my first.  How fun to see every ones different takes and styles stitching this
guy.  Not sure what I'm going to get started on next, but I'm sure I'll
think of something ;)  Have a great week!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Time change tiredness

  Boy the mornings are killing me with this time change.  Springing our clocks ahead an hour is not my favorite.  But the longer days are wonderful and it means spring is coming up quick!  Here is my finished kitty portrait!  I love how she turned out.  Two down and two to go, the bird and the rabbit!



I recently bought a pack of 12  cloth napkins.  So I have embroidered a couple of them.  Cuddling owls and a blue bird.


  
My plan for another napkin is this chandelier pattern!


I've also been working on this super cute tea towel for my best friends birthday!
Vintage patterns, my work so far.  I think I'm going to edge the tea towel
with a cute fabric.

Also I've started the a March stitch-a-long with the Feeling Stitchy group.
A really cool octopus pattern, I started last night. 

I added some details to the octopus, picked my saying, floss colors and
fabric too!


My work so far!  Can't wait to get back to this and start stitching :)

Alas.....where most of the magic happens.  My little corner of the sofa.....
the spot closest to the lamp.
Hope your having a great week!  Until next time :))

Friday, March 11, 2011

House on the hill

   I took a little break from stitching and have been playing around with collage!  I really enjoy the process.  It's like puzzle pieces.  I was first inspired by an artist on Etsy, Sarah Ogren.  She's fantastic and I love her work.  So I tried to emulate a couple pieces of her art work. 


Something I did different was I embroidered the boat.  It's stretched canvas
so it worked out nicely.

So then I designed my own piece, "House on the hill".  I used collage of course, embroidery and paint
as well.


I had my daughter who is 8 years old write in the words on the house
"Once a upon a time there was a house, a magical house on top of
a hill.  Wonderful things happened inside!"



This is how I was keeping my paper organized.
Well that's all for now, I just wanted to share what I was working on.
Tomorrow the dirt comes, so I hope to spend the weekend in the garden!
 
 

Monday, March 7, 2011

Things I'm working on and thinking about!

Well hello there!  I had a nice quiet weekend with lots of crafting opportunities.  The best kind right!?
I finished the fox, he's very distinguished looking I must say.  A Sublime Stitching pattern you can find at www.sublimestitchng.com.  It went quickly surprisingly and next I'm going to get started
on the kitty.


I just love the flower in her hair and the broach.  This will be fun to stitch!

Also my daughter and I made this cute mouse pin cushion this weekend.  A spur of the moment
thing.  How cute is this little mouse.  A quick project, I downloaded for free from www.bustleandsew.blogspot.com .



Also, look at this fun Koi fish flag!!  I just love these fish and I found a fun pattern to make these



This green guy is still in progress!  I want to make a bunch of colors and
hang them around.

I'm really excited for spring!!  My garden beds are waiting to be planted and I am ready to plant them!

My husband just built me these two new beds!!  There used to be a huge playset here, but
the kiddos just didn't play on it any more.  Soooooo  now I have more garden space.

And some more beds a little closer to the house.  Everything always looks so blah this time of year!


This Clematis vine is happy though!  And it smells soooooooo good!  I couldn't have picked a better place to plant it......next to the chicken coop.  This plant was worth every penny I tell ya.  I'm pretty cheap but I paid $24.99 on this sucker and I was sweating it.  But I'm really glad I did now.  It's fast growing and the blooms are wonderful.
Goldy
Fluffy chicken butts, gotta love them!
I will hopefully be shoveling a lot dirt next weekend into my new
garden beds!  Yippee for me!  Have a great week!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

I've gone crafty crazy!!

    I mean how many craft projects do I need to have going on at once!  Currently I'm working on 2 different projects.  But I also have projects that are only partially finished, stuff that I lost steam on and will hopefully get back to.  Not to mention a list of ideas and my hoarding of supplies for future projects. It all started last August.....my husband bought me a sewing machine for my birthday.  And ever since I have gone crafty crazy.  I am so excited about all different types of art....embroidery (my first love♥), sewing (complete beginner), mixed media, collage.......I'm making oven pads for heavens sake.  Well I tell ya I am so inspired by other crafter's blogs and I'm learning soooo much from them.  It's nice to have a creative outlet and the feeling of accomplishment with a finished project is great.  I even have my daughter going crafty crazy!  We are having a lot of fun.


My list that keeps getting bigger.....cause now I putting stuff on the back too!

I've been eyeballing this Sublime Stitching pattern for some time now
and finally purchased it.  I started last night after putting the kids to bed.


This fox is so cute, I'm going to stitch the hole group.

The hot pads I'm working on, I hope to finish them up tonight.



Just stuff around the house that makes me happy.  I made these origami
guys last winter and finally put them up this winter.


My daughter made this picture with oil pastels.  It sits on my kitchen counter.
Love the color!

 Camellias in a vase  my daughter made in preschool
over 4 years ago.  Still going strong.
 Well that's it for now, hot pads hot pads hot pads!