March and April updates

My how times flies.

First Track Socks are done. I haven't decided whether to keep or gift them, so they are patiently waiting to warm someone feet.

Pattern: First Track Socks
Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in Botany

Then with the best of intentions I cast on Tablature  by Romi Hill with Cascade Heritage, but after about 40 rows it just did not feel right. I think the color needs some depth. So the beige yarn has been turned into a comfy pair of socks using the Lord, What Fools pattern by Claire Ellen.

Pattern: Lord, What Fools
Yarn:
Last year I finished stitching the stars for the 50 States Stitching Club by Wild Olive to their blue squares. I cut the stripes for the remaining blocks. I changed the pattern slightly to have 3 rows of stripes rather than 4. Then the project sat waiting... and waiting... So I declared this to be my lunch project and will be hand sewing the rest of the quilt. Piecing goes faster than I expect it to, but this project will be with me for awhile.


That didn't stop me from joining Mollie's next adventure, The Out in Nature Stitching club...

Happy crafting everyone!

Cozy Blue Stitch Club

Last year I joined the Cozy Blue Stitch Club. This lovely blue whale is the my first project in the club.


Liz has some wonderful designs in her Etsy shop, including this whale. Go ahead, have a look - Cozy Blue. I have more than enough to keep my busy, but I couldn't resist a preprinted design with the threads being sent to me ready to stitch. Now if only I can keep up with the club mailings....

Happy December!

I thought I would get at least one post in for December as were slowly settling in for the holidays. Starting with a Christmas Parade. Lights, Marching Bands and Treats...
 

Then my helper elf got busy decorating our tree. Most ornaments were placed only as high as the elf could reach.
 

Counting the days with the Lego Advent Calendar...



With a bit of stitching and knitting  thrown in...


Cozy Blue Stitch Club (November) and Blanket knitted in Knit Picks Brava Bulky.

Hope you are enjoying a peaceful holiday season.

Slowly, slowly, slowly....

One by one, I am getting the star squares done. There were 25 more to do and I thought I would get a chunk done last week while waiting for car maintenance. My plan was to get all 25 blocks prepped, but once I got started ran out of glue. Best laid plans....


However, it became my "lunch project" this week and as of today there are only 10 more to go.

Making Progress....

Since I have finished my cross stitch project, I needed a new one for my lunch break. I pulled out my stars and have settled in to stitched them to my squares. Two patriotic prints will proudly show off my 50 States stars with a simple (wonky) running stitch. A poor choice of fabric to embroider the stars on leaves me with lots of little threads. My star points may not last too long. It is going faster than I anticipated and 10 stars are done already. Slowly but surely... a few stitches a day is better than none!


 There is other motivation to complete this project. Mollie at Wild Olive is starting a new stitch club, Around the House. I'm in, are you?

50 States Embroidery

"Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which every day produces, and which most men throw away" ~ Charles Caleb Colton

And that is the how I am working on my 50 States Stitching Club by Mollie Johanson of Wild Olive.

Each week she released a pattern until all 50 States were represented to be stitched on to an English Paper Pieced star. I worked on the embroidery and paper piecing during my lunch hour and slowly but surely all 50 of them are stitched up. 

I've also trimmed blue squares for the stars....  Trimming those stars?! Not a job I'm looking forward to... 

Summer stitch club - DONE

Hexagons, hexagons, and more hexagons are finally stitched and assembled. I'm so excited to be done, I didn't even press it.
      

Instructions were provided to finish this into a mini quilt or wall hanging, but I'm not sure what I will be doing with this so I left off the corners.

I'm signed up for the Autumn stitch club... better get stitching!

Stitch club update #2

Moseying along with Summer Stitch Club. Every Monday, without fail, an email arrives in my inbox with the week's mini embroidery pattern. And every week, without fail, I print it and file it away to be done "later". "Later" has been getting away from me and today the second to the last pattern was delivered.  YIKES! I better get my needles moving!
There has been some progress... See... I have 4 of the twelve little guys stitch up. The next seven are traced out and ready to be stitched.

My hexies are almost done. I need to count the green ones again. I think I'm short by two... I'll have to do some adjusting when I assemble.

Not too far behind, wouldn't you say? That's a good thing because there will be an Autumn Stitching Club! Who can resist these cute patterns that take just a moment to make. Not I, said the busy mom...

Japanese crafting

I am lucky to have access to a used Japanese book store. And once in awhile,I'll get lucky and find some interesting craft books. Nope, I can't read most of it, but there are lots of diagrams to follow. I love Japanese embroidery. It's so kawaii! And who could pass up that felt bento box? Omusubi, anyone?

On this trip, there were some stuffed toy books too. Would you believe Hello Kitty and friends? That's a lot of craft projects in my queue!

Stitch Club update

I am moving along with the Summer Stitch Club. Isn't some cheerful fabric? I'm going with the green to calm those bright oranges. Slowly but surely, I am catching up with this weekly project.

A bit late for this post, but I just had to show you what I got! This year I made it to the Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale! It's one of my favorite places to browse for books. I only had a short time, so I headed straight for the craft section. Score! Some knitting, some quilting, some toy making. Looney Toons Transfers that will make a great embroidery project. Some books on bobbin lace...Cross stitch, of course, including one for Russian Lace (drawn thead).


But my personal favorite for this trip... the cross stitch Monopoly chart. It has been at the bottom of my wish list, because really, when do I have the time to take on this project? Well, now I have the chart, should I so be inclined (at a bargain price!).

Happy Crafting, everyone!

Summer Stitching Club

Sure I have time for a stitch-a-long... (not!), but I couldn't resist. I have joined Wild Olive's Summer Stitching Club. Once a week from June to August she's sending out a tiny pattern to embroider. Here's the fun part... we will use the embroidered pieces in to a mini quilt using English Paper Pieced Hexagons! Oh, yes, I couldn't resist... I've always wanted to learn how to do paper piecing and this seems like a non-threating, managable way to learn. The first pattern few patterns have been delivered to my inbox, so I'm already behind. First stitches are in....


Not the greatest material for embroidery, but I wanted to get started and this was handy. Now I need to do some stash diving and find some material for hexies!

Labels...

Labeling Caseys's belongings  for school is not my strong point, so I carry a Sharpie in my purse for last minute scribbles on shirt tags. But this time I finished some quick labels for Casey's towels for water play at school. I always need a refresher on how to start the blanket stitch. I used this site to get started. Started with some scraps of some cotton blend and just improvised. Not my best work, but everyone will know who these towels belong to!

Happy Stitching!