Belated Christmas Wishes

 I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas w/family and/or friends.  I finally got in the Christmas spirit kind of last min. this yr. but still had a great time w/my family.  Baked a lot and played some high-spirited table games that were tons of fun.   Didn't go overboard w/the presents this yr. and kept it more special by focusing on the true meaning of Christmas.

My good friend Wendy, (from across the ocean) and I have been doing a private Chr. Exchange for about 3 yr. now and this is what all she sent to me.  I LOVE my cute gingerbread box, Santa, ginger & heart ornies, tag and CHOCOLATES, but especially the 3 little cross-stitched prim Santa pin pillows she made for me.  Aren't they the cutest little pillows??  Tiny stitches, but I love each one of them!  Thanks again Wendy Lou!! hee hee, that is my nickname I came up w/for her!(hope she doesn't mind).

 We always hand-make something for one another and this yr. I was able to make her 3 totally different items, along w/several other little goodies that I forgot to take a pic of, but you can view them on her blog, the Quiet Room. 

The first one I made for her is a Bent Creek design that I had finished stitching earlier this yr. but wasn't sure what I wanted to do w/it.  I finally decided on a WOOLY border and added jingle bells for a more festive pillow! LOL  I think this is one of my favorite finishes I've done in quite awhile.

 This snowman bauble is from an old pattern I had, but I changed it up a bit and added a 'raggy' edge to it and a little sparkle w/the tinsel hanger.

 Then there was 'Chilly' - he is just a teeny little guy, but I thought he was just too cute ~ made his scarf out of wool and added a JABCO birdie button, plus a rusty pin to keep his scarf together.  ha

 Love his sweet little face.........I need to make some more of these.....I'm in love w/cute penguins too!!

 Got in lots of baking over the last couple of wks.  I love trying new recipes and my family loves being the guinea pigs~YAY!!. (except that now we all need to go on a major diet)!!(except for our youngest son who is super-skinny)!!!
 These home-made yeast rolls were made w/a Jiffy cake mix.  They were pretty good, but our oldest son went nuts over them. :))

 Then I got a hankering to make home-made cinnamon rolls(but not on the same day~Ha) and they turned out really good too.

 I only made half a batch, but there were quite a few.....

 Guess I got a little carried away w/the icing...........

 And one more new recipe........these are Pumpkin Cookies w/Brown Butter frosting.  Our oldest son and his fiance made the icing.  Of course they had fun getting it all over everything, including themselves. :))

Well, just a few more days until the New Yr. and I certainly hope that 2013 brings a lot of great things for everyone!

P.S. ETSY NEWS-  I just got in a big order of wool today and some last wk. and have some new patterns coming next wk., so be sure to stop by soon, as I'm busy trying to make up more kits and wool bundles this wk. and get them listed.  And as always, if there's any pattern that you need a 'kit' made for, just let me know.  I've done several special orders recently thru emails and convo's but I don't mind a bit.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Stitching in the NEW YR!!

P.S.S. if anyone wants any of the recipes shown, just leave me a comment on here and it'll go straight to my email inbox first. 

Finally a finish!!

 Well, I finally finished this Buttermilk Basin Candle Mat today that I started awhile back.  I am so addicted to using 100% wools(got rid of all my woolfelt I had awhile back, altho' you can certainly use that instead) but I especially love the overdyed and textured wools.  I have one kit left in my Etsy shop if anyone is interested.  Comes complete w/everything except the thread.  Sometimes I do add in the threads, and sometimes not.  Just depends.

 Here is a close-up of the 'tree' - I just 'winged' it and stitched it free-hand.  I hope it looks ok.  I also just recently ordered a bunch more wool, wool applique patterns and a few of the latest cross stitch patterns that should be here in a few days.  I have a really cool idea for the wool I'll be listing in my Etsy shop, so I hope it gets here SOON!!!  I also have some really great news after the first of the yr. if everything works out, but you'll have to wait till then. tee hee

I'm still not much in the Christmas spirit of things this yr. like I normally am, but this yr. was anything but normal!! However, I did manage to go to a wonderful Christmas Dinner Theater at a local church w/my aunt last wk.  We enjoyed ourselves immensely~ the food was wonderful, the music was great and so were the 'actors'!  We esp. loved the waitors/waitresses ~they made up the teen group at that church and they were such sweet kids, filling up your glasses every few minutes and waiting on you hand and foot.  The money went towards their mission trip next summer.  What a wonderful group of kids!

And speaking of kids, our youngest son turned 19 this past Sun. and I cried the whole time I was making the icing!!  Does anyone else ever do that??  It just hit me all of a sudden that my 'baby' was 19 already!!!  Next spring he hopes to join the Marines!!  wahhhhhhhh!!! LOL

 

I just freehanded the icing on his cake(chocolate underneath) and 'winged' it again(I know, I'm NO artist, that's for sure~still need LOTS of practice!!) ~he chose orange, but it looks more 'peachy' in the pic.  Oh well, it was gone the next day and I only got one piece, I'm just sayin'. LOL

Thanks for your visit!!

Countdown to Christmas

Hi everybody!  I hope everyone in the states had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day last week.  I know I ate way too much!! We had unusually warm weather that day and were tempted to eat outside on the patio, but too many people to seat and too much food to haul out, so we stayed indoors and still had a great time. 

 I can't believe that Christmas is soon approaching and I have to admit I'm having a difficult time getting in the holiday spirit this yr. and haven't even begun to decorate.  Some yrs. I just feel like not even getting a tree decorated, much less anything else, and sorry to say, but this yr. is one of those yrs! I feel like that movie, 'Christmas w/the Kranks', let's just skip it this yr.   I know, wahhhhhhhhh!!!

 

I just wanted to share a few pics of some things I've been working on the past few wks.  I have several other things that I can't show yet, as they are for a private exchange and also some Christmas gifts for a few special people, so no peeking yet!  LOL

Here's a Pine Mt. pillow I stitched up recently for a very dear friend of mine who had a b'day a couple of wks. ago.  She collects snowmen and blue is her favorite color.  The chart is one I won in a giveaway last yr. and I already had the premade tuck pillow.   I stitched it on 16ct. Stardust Blue Heatherfield fabric, which they don't make anymore.  I have several colors leftover from when I had my shop and I still love the fabric.  I can't believe all they sell now is this same color in 10ct.  If some of you recall, they had so many pretty colors in this fabric line and I always loved the little 'flecks' of color in them.  Anybody out there who remembers Heatherfield fabric besides me??  Another wahhhhhhhh!!!

Remember awhile back when I showed my BMB trio of stars pillows?  Well, that was before I added on the silver tinsel, and let me tell you, it made all the difference!!  I love the way it added just the right touch of sparkle!!  (I have one KIT left in my Etsy shop w/the tinsel added in and everything else needed to make these darling pillows).

This has been my favorite holiday pattern so far this yr.

Recently I won Homespun Hannah's giveaway and this is what all I received from her.  I esp. love the pillow and frame!  Thanks again Danice!!  Speaking of giveaways - I am planning on having one soon~so keep that in mind and hopefully I'll have all the details for you in the near future!

  I also wanted to remind everyone to check out my ETSY shop as I have listed lots of new KITS and a lot of deeply discounted items as well.  Lots of things to make for Christmas and Winter that stitch up really fast!  I even went in and lowered some of my items as a special gift to those who read my blog and those who are on my newsletter list.  If you'd like to be added to it, just let me know.   I am known for my super fast shipping, so you still have plenty of time to order.

  Well, hope everyone enjoys the season and maybe, just maybe, I'll get in the mood for it too.
Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet comments in advance!!

One last pic of our doggie, BJ. When it was warmer out last wk. I noticed he had hopped up on our back porch furniture to lay in the sun!! He is such a hoot! I guess the floor was still a bit too chilly for him. LOL

Exciting News!

 I have exciting news to share w/you!  I recently got invited to be a vendor at a local shop that's expanding, so have been really busy trying to make 'shop models' to sell patterns, kits & supplies for mostly wool applique, cross stitch and even a few handmade items, etc.
 All this, in addition to keeping my Etsy shop going, I will be able to expand into teaching some classes on wool applique, as well as maybe forming a Wooly/Stitching Club down the road.
  So I'm very excited, but my mind is whirling in constant crafty motion!

 Since my space will be limited at first(w/hopes to expand later on), I am trying to make things that will fit in a small space, but will give customers a view of what the patterns/kits look like made up.

 I love the way the sequins catch the light on the star pillows.  I am thinking about adding the silver tinsel around the edges since I included it in the kit.

 Here's a couple of ways the kits are packaged.  I wanted to make it feel like they are buying a 'gift', and I put an extra goodie or two in there as well.  (if anyone in blogland is interested in anything, just post a comment on here and it will go straight to my email box first).

 This package is for the bigger kits and I have all different sizes of these cute bags.

 I wanted to leave you w/a few pics of our sweet doggie ~ BJ.  He's a full-blooded Beagle who is 7 and totally spoiled.  I think he may even be counting sheep! LOL (look at the sheet that's covering him)! ha

 I couldn't get him to look up at me, but he loves hanging out w/me in the C.R. (craft room)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great wkend!

All 3 Holidays

I am still having trouble w/this dad-gum NEW blogger interface, is anyone out there w/me??

I also have been a busy little bee.....stitching
my life away w/WOOL!!!  I have fallen in love all over again w/WOOL.  LOVE LOVE LOVE  IT!!!  I can't seem to stop using it!  Esp. the overdyed colors and the textures are just gorgeous!  I even dream about it!  I think I have died and gone to wooly heaven! LOL


  So I made something for each holiday that's coming up, that way I'll be ahead for once!!  A cute little candy corn candle mat.....what?  NO candle!  Can't have that, can we??

So I found this darling glass STAR votive at WW for just a buck!!  and the orange candle for .50 cents!  Can't beat that!

Next I finished up a darling little turkey for Thanksgiving....isn't he SEW cute? :))  I gave him a little heart-shape wire hanger, added some buttons and cut a little 'rag' quilt around the outer edges. 

He is backed w/flannel, oh so soft.  I just wanted to do something a little different this time around w/the outer edges, but I really like how it turned out.  (He is for sale in my Etsy shop, and FREE shipping too)!

You can barely see his tiny little eyes.........(french knots).

 

 

I realize I already showed you this when it was pinned on, but I actually finished it!  I made it into a table mat, and machine binded it w/you-guessed it - FLANNEL!  LOVE that stuff almost as much as WOOL!!! LOL(this one is for sale too, hint hint)

 

And last, but not least, I have been working on something for Christmas!!  I am almost finished w/this and I loved everything about it!  It is pretty good size and I will be making a kit for those interested. I will try to remember to show it once it's entirely finished.

I have listed lots and lots of old/new things in my ETSY shop recently, so go take a peek~I'm offering FREE shipping on several of my kits and a few handmade goodies.  I recently got in quite a bit of new wool that I felted and it's listed in my Etsy shop too~really great prices, I might add.

  Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that there is a really sweet little article that Creative Times Magazine did on me.  It is an emagazine, so you just basically download it to read it.  They have really nice articles on crafts and things.  I am the featured shop for Sept./Oct.  Just click the upper left hand corner where it says - 'Current Issue'.  Then click on the download button, and it should pop up.

Hey, thanks for your visit and your sweet comments!  I really appreciate them and YOU!!

A Jammie Kind of Day

Yesterday it was rainy and cooler out, so I stayed in my jammies all day, which is something I rarely do, but it felt GREAT!!  It was one of those crafty days that you mostly dream about.  Normally it was my 'sewing' day at the local quilt shop, but who wanted to drag everything out in the rain?  Not me!  So I decided to have my own sewing day at home instead. 

I actually got one project done(well, except for the binding) and started another wooly project later in the day and now it's almost finished. (I will show it next time).  This project involved two of my three favorite things - WOOL applique AND a quilt block!!  Can anyone guess what the third thing is???

 I used some of my charm squares from the 'Phenomenal Fall' collection by Sandy Gervais and the rest of the fabric is from my local quilt shop.   The pattern is from Buttermilk Basin and I have one KIT left that is listed in my Etsy shop if anyone is interested.

 

Ok, don't look too closely, my points are off a bit, but it was my very first time making this kind of block, so go easy on me! LOL  

 I had a bit of trouble 'squaring' up my block w/this one, so hopefully I'll do better next time.

 

Well, today is my wonderful hubby's B'DAY, so I best get off of here and spend the rest of the day w/him!!  I already made his favorite cake - milk chocolate w/homemade white icing, so can't wait till tonite when the rest of the family is here so we can dig in!! 

 

Have a great day/evening everyone!  Everybody needs a 'jammie' kind of day now and then!!

Tanya

 

Another Re-do

Yesterday I got in the mood to rearrange a few things in my craft/sewing room, so I decided to take down all my Gentle Arts and Crescent Colours Threads off the pegboard. For some reason, I just wanted a change of pace. In place of all those threads, I dug into my storage bins that I had a lot(but not all) of my craft patterns in and decided that if I had them hanging out in plain view, I'd possibly(hopefully) be tempted to actually make them!! Ha Well, at least that's the plan! I hung them according to seasons mostly and now I can see what I've been hiding from myself!! LOL

For those of you who know me too well, I would actually need a very long, gigantic wall to hold all of my patterns I've accumulated over the yrs., but these are the ones I actually want to work on in the near future. Think I have enough to get me started?? (Hey, I know some of you have way more than I do)~tee hee
I did end up leaving my Weeks Dye Works threads out for now, w/plans to maybe use the smaller pegboard for sewing/quilting patterns. Haven't made up my mind yet, but this is how the other side looks.
I ended up putting all the overdyed threads on big round rings in alphabetical order, so I could easily find a certain color if needed. (I filled two big rings w/just GAST alone)!
I'm hoping this will keep me satisfied for awhile, however, I'm not sure what to do w/all the leftover hooks. I know what you're thinking, I better keep them in case I change my mind again! :))


Onto another book review..........Bethany House Publishers sent me my choice of another FREE book in exchange for an honest review, so here goes:

This one is called "Inescapable" by Nancy Mehl and let me just say that it kept my full attention from the first chapter to the last. I'm not a big fan of books written in first person, but I'll make an exception w/this book. It was full of mystery, a sweet romance, mother/daughter relationships and a LOT of learning to forgive.
The characters were believable, lovable, and sometimes unstoppable in their quest to find the truth. After having read many Amish fiction books, it was refreshing to learn more about the Mennonite people. This book is a must read! I highly recommend it!!

That's it for now! Thanks for stopping by!!

The Last Day of Aug.

I don't know about you but I am wondering what happened to the month of AUGUST?? It has been a crazy month for our family w/lots of happenings going on - b'days, anniversaries, surgeries(family members, not me) and taking in an 18 yr. old former foster kid(who is really sweet), has just kept me unusually busy this month!
More laundry, grocery shopping(seems like every other day lately) more cooking/baking and more errands ran. But I'm not really complaining cuz I get sad when I think of having 'empty nest' sydrome(altho' I was secretly looking forward to it). So I'm really thrilled (most of the time) to have a FULL house, just NOT the extra cleaning part! ugh!!

So I'm slowly gearing up for FALL, even tho' our temps here in Eastern Ky. have been anything but fallish, I decided the other day I needed to make something that maybe, just maybe, I'll get stitched up BEFORE fall is actually here! You all know how I have good intentions way in advance, but rarely do I actually get something finished beforehand. LOL

I cut out all the pieces to this cute pumpkin/crow pattern I've had my eye on for awhile now, and need to get it stitched up. It uses some wonderful yummy wools that I have in my stash and also some quilt fabric too! (two birds w/one stone, as they say). ha
Also, I've been in a sewing mood too, lately. I've had this gorgeous fabric(Madeira by Blackbird Designs for Moda) for a few yrs. now and never knew what to make w/it, until recently when I saw on somebody's blog, how they made a quilt w/a 'Jelly Roll'-(2 1/2 in. strips, cut the length of the fabric and you get about 42 strips in one jelly roll). It was a super easy design, so I felt confident that I could do it!
You basically take two strips that have a LOT of contrast and make 4 cuts - 6 1/2 in. long and 3 cuts that are 2 1/2 in. long. That's it and you have very little waste! Two strips make 4 blocks. Then you turn your blocks in the opposite directions(every other one, so you don't have to match up more seams), then sew your rows together, etc.
Which I haven't quite gotten that far yet(as you can tell), but they sew up rather quickly.....

I also made several more of these pocket tissue holders, this time using the slimmer ones and they opened a different way than my others, so I redesigned them, making them open on the sides....

One more thing I finished awhile back but forgot to show. I have a really cool idea for this one, but who knows when it'll get done??? LOL Maybe before NEXT summer??? :))

For all of you here in the states - I wish you a wonderful Labor Day Wkend!! Hope you find time to do something you enjoy~happy stitching!!

P.S. - For those of you who are interested ~ I just got in the rest of my patterns that were on backorder and listed them earlier today. You can click here to go take a peek. Lots of new patterns for FALL and CHRISTMAS!!