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!

Smalls SAL - April 30

My small was completed earlier in the month and given as a gift to my MIL for Easter. If you came by for Jo's Easter blog hop, you've already seen it...but really I just love it, and I know she did too!

With a bit of a closeup...

See you in May!

What is Your SUPERPOWER?

What a question! What a fun hop! I had so very many ideas.

Thank you Mdm Samm and Pauline for organizing this hop and us as well! And of course, our sponsor...DMC Threads...without which I would be completely lost!

Did you ever notice that when someone asks you what you are good at more often than not you begin thinking of all the things you are not (yet) good at?! Well the next logical step is to turn that to a positive.

For example, I like to buy buttons, trims, fabric, patterns that I don't need for a particular project, but rather just because I like them, or just because they are a good buy. I love beginning new projects...apparently more so than finishing them, so this would make me a "collector". Oh I had lovely ideas for making a wall hanging or curtain for my craft room, but I had other things to do first...

Also, I thought of describing myself as a "scratcher" of kitty bellies, of dirt for gardening, and of chickens...that is, I love to do chicken scratch embroidery. I bought the fabric for new curtains for my living room...green gingham in 1/4 inch check, and the green DMC floss to use for the embroidery, the curtain fabric sits awaiting me to make them into curtains, but I had other things to do first...

I love to do cross-stitch...guess that makes my superpower CROSS-STITCHING, and I found the most lovely Easter sampler at Plum Street Samplers. It is called Rejoice. I wanted to make this for my mother-in-law for Easter. She lost her daughter to lung cancer just before Christmas, a 50-year-old, never smoked a day in her life, physically fit and active elementary school principal. My mother-in-law is a strong Christian, and has been leaning especially heavily on the arms of Jesus for the last year. The following song lyrics were provided with the sampler, and I will include them in the card when I give her this gift..

Rejoice, rejoice, O Chrisian! Lift up your voice and sing

Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ, the King!

The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find,

None other is so loving, so good and kind.

He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.

He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know he lives?

He lives within my heart.

 

Thank you DMC for such an awesome product as your floss (and other things). I began cross-stitching  in my early teens with DMC, and until last year I never knew there was any other product...why fix what ain't broke...

Here are today's participants...can't wait to discover their SUPERPOWER!

FRIDAY APRIL 11

 
Just Let me Quilt
Meadowbrook
Living with Purpose (you are here)
The Quilting Queen Online Blog
Words and Stitches
Beaquilter

 

Thanks so very much for visiting and for leaving your lovely comments. Each and every one is truly appreciated!

Upcoming Blog Hop - Schedule

Organized by  Sew We Quilt's...Madame Samm

Cheered by Quilt n Queen's...Pauline, 

and Sponsored by DMC

Go visit Emma Broidery for some awesome inspiration and fun freebie links and patterns!

And here is the final list of participants in this hop...look, there I am on the first day. Better getting cracking on my project eh?! 

**Updated April 9, DMC Threads will be joining in the fun on April 15. Yay! I'm at least as excited to see their work as I am to show my own lol!

FRIDAY APRIL 11

Just Let me Quilt

Meadowbrook

Living with Purpose

The Quilting Queen Online Blog

Words and Stitches
Beaquilter

MONDAY APRIL 14

It Seams To Be Sew...

Why-Knot-Kwilt

Bumbleberry Stitchn'

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Jane's Quilting

Secretly Stitching

TUESDAY APRIL 15

The Distracted Domestic

A Geeky Crafty Life

Thimblemouse and Spouse

How ART you?

Sew Golden A Chance

Just Because Quilts
DMC-Threads 

WEDNESDAY APRIL 16

krislovesfabric

My Addiction to Quilting

Needle and Hook

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Lixie Makes It

Seams To Be Sew

THURSDAY APRIL 17

Kathy's Quilts

Made by Me in Red

life, quilts and a cat too

Val Spiers Sews

Quilt Doodle Doodles...

Quilting My Way-5th Generation Quilters Blog

FRIDAY APRIL 18

Late Night Quilter

Just Keep Swimming

I Piece 2-Mary

The Fuzzy Hat Quilter

Kids and Sewing

Sew many yarns

MONDAY APRIL 21

Malini's Quilting Adventure

Pig Tales and Quilts

My Stitchin-n-Stuff

pieces by polly

Buzzing and Bumbling

QuiltnQueen

Sew We Quilt

Smalls SAL - March 26

Missed this yesterday with all the excitement of it being my day to wave my flag. Paper piecing has become such a pleasure that I just want to do more! But that is for another day.

Here is the small I completed that was originally to be done for February, but circumstances as they were...it did not get completed then. So better late than never...

I am making this into a pillow for my son's bed. Black Kona cotton with red ruffle, or bias binding, or flange...not sure yet, but the fabric is in my stash!

Thanks for stopping by...oh and if you like, you can comment on the previous post for a chance to win a Rocky & Bullwinkle fat quarter.

See you next month!

Upcoming Hops with Sew We Quilt

The lovely and sew creatively talented

(don't you just love her newest avatar?!)

of  

(hostess of the most original and outstandingly fun blog hop blog)

 has many of us ready to ruffle... with Amy of Sew Incredibly Crazy

Followed by the madly waving! Thearica of Pigtales and Quilts

To be followed by...signups open next week

If you love to do embroidery, cross stitch or chicken stitch…Mdm Samm offers you this chance to REVEAL your SUPERPOWER!!!

Imagine:

...a great banner for your sewing room,
...or a wall hanging for that special child of yours,
...a reminder of how special they are
...something on your bathroom door to remind you to smile

YOU Have SUPERPOWERS! 

YOU can do ANYTHING

as long as there is some stitching in it..and you reveal your SUPERPOWER!

 Why yes. Of course Mdm. Samm has another hop in the works...

"Soooooon we will be announcing another new hop
about PICNICS….it is time…
and there is no doubt in my mind
YOUR summer will be filled with PICNICS and PICNIC baskets…"

 

Sign up for his many PICNIC BASKET SPECIALS

March and April will be two very exciting months! Are you looking forward to seeing the results of the creative minds participating in these hops? I know I am. And now it is time to get back to dreaming and designing my own flag to wave madly!

Smalls SAL - February 26

Well, behind again. I was working on my I heart heart Gallifrey for February, but really got derailed this last 1 1/2 weeks with the illness of my mother. I am about 2/3rds finished...will get caught up soon.

In the meantime, please accept this other stitchery in its place. I worked on a project for the Don't Let the Door Stop You blog hop, and created a small stitchery with that...also from Vicky Ramage (Comastitch). Pattern available for purchase on Craftsy. I used the stitchery on a door stop. I just love gingham, and fell in love with this pattern.

Initial Heart Swap - Received!!

Woo Hoo! It`s here, it`s here. My pretty package from Evalina arrived today! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I could not resist taking a picture of the envelope. Firstly love the Canada flag packing tape! And most of all...I just love that she wrote to deliver with care. I can attest that it was...the UPS man left a sticker on my door with a cute little happy face. I wasn`t here at the time of delivery...but obviously he knew I would be very happy with the arrival of this awaited package! LOL

Next inside was the pretty pink tissue paper...ooh the anticipation!

And without a doubt, I was bowled over with the beautiful contents! I am sew feeling the love that went into this! I saw this beautiful heart cross stitch as Evalina left a sneaky peaky on her blog. I can admit to loving it on sight. It is even prettier in person! Such tiny, perfect stitching! The chocolate is already gone (unshared!) but I did stop to take a photo first.

The glass bead kit is very pretty. Yet another technique I have not tried...beading. You can bet I will be attempting it before the year is out LOL And the cross stitch pattern for the scissors keep, fob and heart box are amazing!

Thank you for being my swap partner Evalina! And thank you so much Cheryll for hosting and organizing this hop.

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

Smalls SAL - January 29

Got this as a free project from www.comastitch.co.uk (site no longer available), but Vickie Ramage can be found with other x-stitch projects on Craftsy.

Here is my finished small:

My son loves watching Dr. Who so when I saw this little stitchery, I just couldn't resist. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to frame it and hang it in his room.

FNSI, Quilty Stitches, & On The Needles

Got busy yesterday at my quilting guild meeting, and having the cat shaved, and didn't get around to posting until now. Had a productive FNSI but as you will see in the photos, it really doesn't look like much. Forgot how slow going larger-sized projects can be. Plus it has been a long time since I worked on 14-count aida. So much smaller than the 11-count I've recently been working on for my smalls! Oh, my poor aging eyes!

I chose different colours than Corey at Little Miss Shabby, mostly because I didn't want to wait until my order from Herrschners arrives. Love blues, greens, and purples so that is likely what I am going to continue to go with. The fabric is 14-count Aida in Antique White, so the white stitching doesn't show up very well. I figure it will show more once the other colours fill up the interior. And I'm likely to backstitch my project as well.

Also worked on some knitting and crochet projects...

This is the January mid-month cloth. When finished, photo will be added to my monthly dishcloth KAL page.

Always wanted to crochet in the round. So I've decided to make some round scrubbies. Once I work these out to my liking, I'm going to make some to add to my Christmas box with dishcloths and dishtowels.

Oh, and here is the progress on Sock 1 of my first pair of socks. Bit of a standstill cause I dropped a couple of stitches and picked them up but 1 or maybe two rows down. Guess I was too excited cause I was on my last round before starting work on the toe. Oh well, will pick it up again when I catch up on some upcoming deadlines LOL

Well, that was about it for FNSI and Friday on the Needles. Linking up with Wendy for FNSI and Judy for FOTN!

For your viewing pleasure...

Here is Harpo sleeping being disturbed while trying to sleep along the back of the couch. Yikes his ear is dirty; probably from hanging out in front of the woodstove.

And here he is again in all his furless glory...

I usually only shave him in the Spring, but this year he has begun shedding en masse already. Every time I pick him up, I get a nose full and shirt full of fur...so off with his fur! He doesn't go out so he is plenty safe snuggled up near the woodstove. I actually have to shove him out of the way in order to add wood LOL

New Stitch Along with LMS

Have you seen this?

Little Miss Shabby is hosting a cross-stitching sampler along...The Quilty Stitches Sampler Along. This is without a doubt my kind of quilting...

It is just such a beautiful sampler that I cannot help but join up. Visit here to sign up and for a materials list and here for her suggested colours list.

The sampler-along is scheduled to begin next week, with a new "block" every two weeks, for a total of 16 blocks. I'll have time to order my missing DMC thread from her list of suggested thread colours.

oooeee...my squeals of delight to have found such a fun project! 2014 is off to an amazing start!

My List of Smalls 2014

It was brought to my attention as a good idea to list the projects I wish to accomplish for the Smalls 2014 SAL.

So, in no particular order:

1. Port-a-Potty
2. I (heart) (heart) Gallifrey
3. a) Princess of Perpetual Projects
    b) Queen of Procrastination
4. Stork scissors square fob
5. Stork biscornu
6. (a) Stork scissors case
    (b) Stork needle case
7. Sorry Gone Stitchin
8.Rejoice, Rejoice O Christian
9. Give Thanks
10. A Trifle from a Friend
11. Adore Him
12. Autumn Blessings
Extra: Count Your Blessings (in case I feel a need for a change in my lineup or...incredibly so if I find myself with extra time on my hands LOL)

If during any particular month I have the time to complete two of the projects, then I will double up and add another project to the queue. I've been wanting to do the stork items for some time so by adding them to this list, God willing, they will become a reality this year.

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!

Black Tie Boogie ~ my day

Woo hoo, cluck cluck! Today is my day to strut and peck and show my stuff!

Thank you to plucky head cheerleader

she is such a good egg!

 and of course

who leaves such an indelible impression! And a very special thank you to our sponsors...Red Rooster Fabrics, Radical Roosters, and Bird Brain Designs!

I've been wanting to make a table runner for some time now. I took a simple and free pattern, and combined my love of chicken fabric, gingham fabric and added a couple of fun yo yos to create...

 It is snowing outside...

 guess I got some snow on my camera LOL

In the works are also some hexagon placemats using Debby Kratovil's awesome Twisted Hexagon Blocks pattern and spiderweb template ruler. Thank you Debby for coming to my rescue while I tried to work out this pattern. Once I stopped being such a Nervous Nellie...it got easier to "see" what I was supposed to do!

And the most awesome, new to me project, is a set of red gingham curtains in my dining room. They have been sitting there very quietly since last Christmas when I sewed them up. I now have to come clean, I have been "chicken scratching". No, not scratching chickens...though Wilma Wishbone sure loves a good belly rub LOL but rather, a form of embroidery on gingham called Chicken Scratch embroidery...aka Depression or Amish lace. This is something I have been wanting to do for some time, and have finally begun. I have to admit I absolutely love doing this form of embroidery! And I cannot wait to finish this project so I can begin another. I would love to get some of these books as well...just look at the gorgeous rooster!

The curtain on the right shows what the curtain looked like before I started embroidering, and the left is my progress.

And here is a close up of my progress. I have the top row of woven circles to complete, and 2 1/2 rows of the woven ovals. It actually works up quite quickly all things considered.

I got the pattern from here. I would love to try the double colour on something...perhaps I have some aprons to make up...a lady can never have too many aprons LOL

Ok, enough about me...time to move on the next hens on the list...

November 27

How Art you?

Living with Purpose  (you are here)

Sew many yarns

Grandmama's Stories

Go forth and spread some fowl love!