New Year - New Start

I received a wonderful package from a fellow crafter in December last year. She knew I loved to hand embroider and she had these designs that she wasn't going to make and she thought I might like them. There was a Santa and a Snowman in the package. I did a little poll and everyone decided that I should start the Snowman first.

It's a bluework design which is basically redwork but you use blue floss instead of red.

I chose to make mine using DMC floss instead of pearl cotton. I really like pearl cotton but when I use it for back stitching it tends to look chunky and choppy to me. I'm sure I'm just using the wrong weight floss but I actually like DMC floss so I don't mind switching. 

I traced Mr. Snowman on a piece of muslin that was included in the package. I managed to get his face done while chatting with a few friends over on my YouTube channel. He's so much fun to work on so I plan on adding him into my weekly rotation.

(BLOG) It's finally finished!!!

Friday morning's sunrise was spectacular. I looked out the window and the world was cast in a pink glow. Just imagine how beautiful it was in real life. While my phone takes wonderful pictures, I have never been able to master taking wonderful pictures of the sky.



I've started something new with the blog. Just a small little detail that I hope is helpful to some. As you may already know I post my YouTube videos here on the blog. I have followers who watch my videos from a variety of sources and I want to make sure everyone can easily see the videos. Not everyone watches them from my blog so I've started adding (descriptions) to my blog titles. If it's a (VIDEO) you will easily be able to tell that at a glance. If it's a (BLOG) or written post that is easy to see also. I hope this helps.

I also thought it might be helpful to list my basic timeline so you will know when to pop over to see what's happening in my craft room.

Tuesday:  Talk To Me Tuesday - where I discuss what's been happening in my life and I try to show a current quilting project or past project.

WiP It Wednesday: where I show all the crafty things I've worked on during the precious week.  Starting next year I will keep one project exclusive for the blog. I will show it during the video but mention if they want to see more then they need to pop over here to hear all the details.

Sew With Me Friday: on Friday's I post a sew along tutorial style video. Sometimes it's a viewer request or just something that I felt like working on this week.  In 2019 I am going to be doing some QAYG videos and trying different QAYG techniques.

Sunday: Sundays are for bonus videos or series.  Some weeks there may be no video or I may run a series of videos. I recently finished a series on hand embroidery stitches. My next series will be how I knit a mitre square blanket from scraps. Tomorrow's bonus video is about felt storage. Both full sheets and scraps of felt.

Saturdays: This is the day that I will be posting written blogs with pictures. I'm trying to make sure I don't repeat myself on these blog posts. That's why I'm going to be having a blog exclusive project. You have to come over here to see all the details and pictures. I love blogging and reading blogs so I want to makes sure I pencil in some time to do just that.



Now to the fun stuff!!

A couple months ago I was commissioned to finish this crewel embroidery project. Have I ever done crewel embroidery you may ask? Nope, not even a stitch lol. I've watched several videos on crewel embroidery this year and I was going to try it in 2019. I won't have to try it now because I've spent several hours working on this project. 

It is now finished!! When I received it the words were completed and a very small section of the clouds on the left side were done. Some of it was enjoyable and other parts were frustrating. I think it would have all been fun if I had the right tools for the project. Crewel embroidery is best done on stretcher bars where you can tack the canvas down evenly. I worked on this in a hoop and white it was taut it was never tight. I did learn that with wool when you take the project out of the hoop it shrinks back together if that makes sense. I did really enjoy the boat, mostly because by then I had figured out the process and the sail isn't stitched left horizontally. That seemed to make a big difference.  It is flying off to it's home later today which means I can start another embroidery project ;)

Quilt Blocks and Hand Embroidery

I felt like making some random 12.5" blocks the other day. I love sewing with batiks.

I have don't really have any plans for these blocks. I just felt like making them. For now, I'll add them to my other random blocks that I've made in the past. Eventually they will become a quilt or two but for now it's just fun to sew without immediate purpose. 

I spent several hours yesterday working on my Heart Flower Embroidery Design by CutesyCrafts. She has some fun embroidery designs but also wander around her blog for a bit. There are lots of fun things to see and make.    I am working on this design as part of my Hand Embroidery Series over on my YouTube channel.  A very relaxing way to spend a Saturday. The embroidery portion is almost finished. Then I get to decide how to finish the entire piece. I'm sure I will make it into a small art quilt like my other embroidery projects. I just need to decide on fabrics. 

Hand Embroidery

I've always enjoyed hand embroidery but I've only used a handful of stitches in the past. I've decided that this year I'm going to learn as many new stitches as I can. While watching tutorials on YouTube I came across Namaste Embroidery. There are tons of stitch videos but most of them have music playing and no actual talking. I prefer to have someone explain the stitches to me and chat with me so it feels like I'm sitting right next to them stitching along. I know. I'm weird. Jessica also has a website where she sells a variety of embroidery designs. I also found these free designs. Both where on the same printout so I went ahead and stitched each of them. The one on the right is her original design and the heart on the left is her updated version with a few different stitches added. These are meant to be hung right in the hoops you use to stitch them but I think I might make them into a little wall hanging so they can both be together since they're basically the same design.

Take a stitch Tuesday or a stitch a day

Last year I came across the Pintangle blog by Sharon B. Now I'm not a Pintangler or one who does Pintangle but I do like the idea of it and the finished look. This isn't what drew me to Sharon's blog.  TAST is what caught my eye. What is TAST you may be asking yourself and I'll tell ya what it is and what I think it is. TAST is basically Take A Stitch Tuesday and it's a hand embroidery challenge that started way back in 2007. That's a lot of years of stitching. The idea of the challenge is to work as many of the proposed stitches as you can or want. Each stitch is announced on Tuesday mornings. Imagine that! LOL. Now you know where the name came from.

I found this challenge partway through last year but decided not to join at the time. I've thought about it every once in a bit but never really thought too hard. A new year and challenge started this January but it wasn't on my radar at the time. I've been drawn to hand work again so this challenge resurfaced in my mind. Even though it started like 14 weekly stitches ago I don't mind. It looks like they are only on stitch 10 so that's even better.  It's only a stitch a week and I'm sure I can catch up. The challenge will be to keep motivated for the rest of the year. Now that's the real challenge.

This is what I plan on working my stitches on. I bought this embroidery hoop from a thrift store I'm pretty sure and I've held onto it for several years. I believe this one is a quilting hoop but it will work fine for this project. I am using some of my ugly to me fabric for my base. I've actually got two layers of the fabric hooped up. They way I see it the fabric won't matter because I plan on covering the whole thing in stitches. I did sketch out the word LOVE for the center. I thought that might be a nice word to work around.



I also came across One Year of Stitches and Buttons over on lil blue boo and I plan on working on this one at the same time as the TAST challenge. This challenge seems more freeform. I need to read a bit more but I believe this one is just to add a button and stitch a day but I don't think there is a specific stitch. It's mostly just do what you want and what fits your hoop and project.

This time I am using an oval frame with the word BELIEVE. I'm still using the same farmhouse blue fabric doubled as my base. I have plenty of embroidery floss, buttons, and beads to keep me stitching for most of the year at least. What a fun way to use up more of my stash and to do something that I enjoy.

Do you have any year long crazy to most people projects you are working on this year?

Hocuspocusville block 9

I finished the main embroidery on block 9 of Hocuspocusville by Crapapple Hill Studios. As you can see I still haven't purchased the glow in the dark thread for the signs and pumpkin eyes. I'll probably wait until the blocks are mostly done before I go out and buy more floss. That way if I need more Halloween colored floss I can pick that up at the same time. The less time I spend in a craft store the less money I can spend, right? I'm still enjoying working on these and that's a good thing since there are 12 blocks and I'm on number three. I like having a long term project like this because there's no pressure to get it finished right now. It's definitely not for Halloween this year and who knows if it will be done for 2018. Creating should be enjoyable and not always full of pressure to finish.

Hocuspocusville - Block 1

I love hand embroidery. I love Halloween. I love quilts. 

I've wanted this pattern for awhile. I don't remember when I bought the pattern but it sat in my stash for awhile because I couldn't decide on background fabric or floss colors.  I decided to quit overthinking it and go with a medium grey fabric and neon embroidery floss in a handful of colors. I need to take a better picture though. As I said the fabric is a medium grey and I went with bright neon orange for block 1. I was thinking of using a glow-in-the-dark floss for the signs or at least the writing on the signs. I need to do a bit of shopping for glow-in-the-dark floss to see what colors are available. Not sure what I want for the writing but I would like some glow yellow for the pumpkin eyes.

I'm really enjoying working on this project when I just want to sit and relax and watch a movie. Hand embroidery is great for those times when you want to keep your hands busy but you don't want to do anything that requires thinking or math. It's even better when you don't have to change floss colors.

This is block 1 and if I decide to go with the layout in the pattern it will be in the upper left corner. I don't mind having the blocks around a center design but I doubt I will go with the on point 9 patches in the center. I might go simple with a fun Halloween fabric panel or create my own applique design for the center.

Three By Six Bee

These are the blocks I made for the 2nd quarter of the 3X6 Bee over on Flickr.  I found the pattern here.  These were fun to work on but now I am ready to move onto something else. Not sure what block I will pick for the 3rd quarter. Maybe something applique since I haven't done that yet.

One design...2 uses

My husband has been out of work due to a disability (severe chronic pain) for over 2 years. I have been "gently" hinting to him that he needs a hobby/craft or he is going to go stir crazy. Over the years he has joined me in many of my crafting adventures. He is the one who taught me how to thread my first sewing machine. He also showed me how to do a basic cross stitch. We made many plastic canvas projects too.

We were at the craft store picking up some things for me and Hubby started to wander around looking for something to do. I showed him the wood burning section. That's all it took. He decided it was finally time to get into the crafting world. About time lol. He picked up a clock kit and a round piece of wood to burn a design in. He also picked out a wood burning starter kit. I also had him grab some smaller pieces of wood to practice on.


A couple days before, I had been surfing the web looking for bird designs to embroider. Each night I worked a little on my bird while Hubby and the kids watched TV.

This is the little guy I came up with. I would love to tell you where I found him, but I can't. I tried finding the blog again but I think it disappeared lol. I have a tendency to hop from one link to another.

****found it :)

Anyways...Hubby thought he was cute. Plus, he is the right size for the wood we picked up. So Hubby made this:

Pretty good for his first time. Rob really enjoyed doing this. He has already burned something onto his clock wood too. I'll show you that once it is all finished. I haven't looked at making clocks in so long I forgot about one very important factor...the shaft has to be deep enough to accommodate the thickness of your wood.  We picked out one that was too short. Oh well, another trip to the craft store and he should be all set.

Mushrooms everywhere!!

 

These are scissor and needle holders made from a Patchwork Posse newsletter pattern.

 

March's challenge over at the YOE blog was to make these mushroom and toadstool houses from  The Little House By The Sea.  I love to sit back and do some hand work. I forgot how much I enjoyed free form embroidery. Even though there is a suggested idea for the embroidery, you are basically left with the decision on how to decorate your houses.

Embroidery

I've been working on my Snowman BOMs.

 

I have no idea what months I did...

 

...but here they are.

Pillow top

I found a pillow kit at A.C.Moore on clearance recently and have been stitching on it bit by bit. A couple stitches here and a few stitches there at night while watching TV. The top is finished and just waiting to be stuffed. I think it would make a cute addition to a little boys (or girls) room.

Spooktacular swap update

I'm almost finished with my theme blocks for Jane's Spooktacular Swap! I just need to sign my name on the front. I want to see if I can find a gold pen to write my name somewhere in the web design.



These blocks are all from things I had around the house. The black fabric was a sheet in it's former life until I brought it home from the thrift store. The purple spiders are cut from a fleece blanket that I used as backing for some bibs. I have a box full of embroidery thread that I use for small projects (I did have a few almost full skeins in there too).

I went back and forth about whether or not these would be good for the swap but I really like how they turned out. Plus, a swap is about getting a variety of things and I hope these will be a nice surprise in everyone's quilts.