Friday Night With Friends

Well, tomorrow is the first Friday of the month...unless you happen to be in Australia like Cheryl, at Gone Stitchin' (click on the image above), in which case it is already Friday, and they are busy sewing =)

Since I often work Friday night, sewing is out of the question for me and so I will usually join in tonight...which I am, and I will give you only a sneaky peak of my work...big blog hop coming up you know...A Perfect Picnic...so, this is a bit hush hush for now

I love doing chicken scratch on gingham so...that is what I am doing.

Also working on another Easter cross-stitch pattern, this one for myself. It will eventually say "Jesus is Risen"

And for enjoyment, I am listening to David Nevue...

His albums are also available on iTunes! Sorry about the YouTube ads!

FNWF - Feb 7

 

Note: If you are interested in Crafting It Forward with me, visit this post and follow the directions there...thank you! I still have 4 spots open.


Cheryll over at Gone Stitchin' hosted FNWF again this past Friday. Please check out the sign-ups post to see what everyone else got up to and here to see what Cheryll was busy with.

I worked this weekend, but took the time to cut out my 5" fabric squares to make some bunny treat bags for the Sewing Bee with SGOT (Sewing Gifts on Time yahoo group). Washed my 10 fat quarters and dried them with the iron (also busy cutting 2" squares for the upcoming PSQ swap).

Then I washed my fat quarters purchased during the Sew Sisters fat quarter frenzy in February - Riley Blake "Priscilla" fabrics to use in the Sew Kitschy BOM over at Quiet Play.

Phew, I can tell you that just simply that took up pretty much all of the free time I had on Friday. My arm was tuckered out from all that ironing.

I hand washed all my fat quarters in Euculan (love the lavendar smell), which does not require rinsing. Wrung them out gently, then ironed them dry. That should take care of most shrinkage. According to Curious Quilter's guidelines, it is preferable to wash our fabrics prior to cutting for PSQ...so...that's what I did LOL.

I also started the sock KAL from another yahoo group Holiday Mystery Gifts. By this morning on my break I reached about 6" from cast on edge. I'm totally loving both this yarn (Knitpicks...something or other, yarn from my stash with no ball band) and this pattern "Plain Talk Socks" from sailingknitter on Ravelry.

And that about does it for me this FNWF. Looking forward to next month! Thanks Cheryll!

Oh, and one gratuitous nature photo:  presenting Squirrel...

Call me crazy, but I started feeding them this winter. Well, it seems I always feed them since they enjoy my bird feeders, but this year I stopped chasing them away. I have 3 or 4 black squirrels and 3 or 4 grey squirrels that come twice daily guaranteed. They love the sunflower seeds in my feeders, as well as the peanuts I throw out onto the snow for them. They don't like to get too close to each other so I scatter the peanuts along the top of the snow in two directions so everyone can eat at the same time. Periodically, blue jays join them by swooping down from a nearby tree and grabbing a peanut, then flying away to another tree to eat it. It is lots of fun watching them! My husband laughs and says they have all become as big as cats since I started feeding them this fall. LOL

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. With sun like this, the snow bothers me less. Beautiful weekend for skiing if you are a skier!

FNWF

Did most of my sewing in previous post...did some more yesterday on Sunbonnet Sue, but have no photo's to share. Also working on my Smalls 2014 cross stitch project for February, though I bet my stitched pattern on the doorstop would count as such in a pinch. No photos in case my sly son is lurking about my blog as it is for him, but I will say that so far I have most of the (I) done and a (heart). Shhh...the rest is secret. Hoping to complete before Friday.

Thanks for stopping by...it really was a photoless Friday night. Will make up for it with completed photos later this week!

Happy Weekend!

Don't Let the Door Stop You

This is the final day of the double hop She Who Sews and Don't Let the Door Stop You. There have been some very creative and beautiful projects shared.

I was not going to do this hop. My original intention was to take a break and get some of the other projects on my long list of Things to Do...done. But, when I saw Sunbonnet Sue, I immediately emailed Carla and practically begged to be let into this hop. You see, the only room I need a doorstop in is my bedroom, and I just knew what fabric I would pull from my stash. I used leftover floral fabric from when I shortened the premade floral curtains I had purchased. And the plaid (?) fabric is from a recycled bedskirt from this set as well.

Then, during the hop, another blogger presented Sunbonnet Sue for her project. And a stunning Sue she was. Silly me, I let myself feel intimidated and thought that maybe, I should do a different door stop. Not that I am as design creative as I would like to be, I used another free pattern, but changed it up a bit by using a cross-stitch piece (Vicky Ramage on Craftsy) and I just love how it turned out.

Lesson learned? Do the best you can regardless....so here is Sue. Still in a state of disarray and undress...held together with pins. Will post a picture once she is done. Hoping to have time tomorrow to finish her up!

Until then, thank you Carla and Mdm. Samm for another fun filled adventure...and be sure to visit today's list of wonderful and creative projects!

February 7th

GrammieQs

Pickles Quilting

Made by Me in Red
 
A Passion for Applique

Living With Purpose (me)

Sew We Quilt

FNWF ~ January 10

Been working on quite a bit this week...Kona EPP needlekeep, my socks, a new lace scarf, my cross-stitch mini for Smalls 2014.

You can see my progress on my socks in my previous entry, as well as the picture of the scarf I'm doing.

This is a finished cross-stitch, but I have not included the full stitchery as I will be posting it again at the end of the month for the Smalls SAL 2014. Also, I'm not sure whether or not my ds has begun reading my blog on the sly and as this is for him, I don't want him to see the finished project just yet. I believe I'm making it into a notebook cover for him...but don't quote me on that just yet. LOL

This was a really fun project, and I just finished the last bit of backstitching this morning. Phew!

Was fun sewing with y'all. Looking forward to joining you again next month.

Linked up with Cheryll at Gone Stitchin  I'll do my visiting tomorrow morning after I finish work. Have a great weekend!

FNWF - Saturday Show and Tell

It may still be Saturday here, but will soon be Monday in Australia eh?!

Anyway, worked on a small stitchery...

This is a free pattern from Bird Brain Designs, and I used it to do redwork on a white "flour sack" dishtowel.
They have a few other patterns I will be making up next. This was a quick work up and just loved it!

Look forward to stitching with you again next month!

In other news, went to my monthly quilt guild meet up. Fun fat quarter sale today, and boy oh boy did I treat myself! This first picture is actually 2 x 1 metre cuts and the red is a 1/2 metre cut. All the rest are fat quarters.

Phew...this sure was a small box full. Now I have lots more to add to my PSQ cut box. I sure want to be ready to swap next March!

Having a great weekend, hope you are too!

FNWF - August

Had a great time Cheryl..

 Actually began Thursday evening because I just could not wait :) but did not take any photos as it was too dark. I am making a high loft lap quilt for my sil...Using 4 inch squares, I pieced them all together Thursday evening 9 squares x 9 rows, and then Friday morning I was up at 4:30 a.m. busy sewing the strips together.

 This is my first time ever attempting any kind of quilt past the draft on paper stage so I've made a few booboos along the way and had to rip several seams and start over.

 Phew...got all my strips put together and trying it on my lap for size.

 Liking how it drapes my computer chair. I am amazed at how simple squares sewn together can look so awesome.

The plan is to handstitch a few words. So I have a bunch here, working on placement.

 Decided to go with only 5 words...had four white squares completed Friday, but not the fifth one on the red square...not enough light.

 Completed this one this afternoon only because I was out all day with the granddaughter (4 yrs. old)...shopping of course. Oops...totally need to edit this post and add that the embroidery designs come from Jenny of Elephantz. "Trust, Faith, Pray, and Love" are freebies available on her craftsy.com pattern shop. "Believe" came from the August issue of Elephantz HOME available as an instant download from her craftsy shop also. **Thank you Jenny for your awesome inspiration!**

"

 And this will be the backing fabric for my lap quilt. I still need to buy the high-loft batting. I've begun marking with safety pins the staggered pattern where I will add my ties to make this a tied quilt. Not sure if I will use bows or what...will decide when I get there :)

Excited with how this project is progressing and that I had a very productive FNWF...see you all next month.

Thanks for the visit...now pop through here to see what the others have been up to :)

xox