The winning envelope please.........

I drew 2 names tonite for my blogoversary giveaways. The winners are:

#1 - Lisa from Australia

#2 - Theresa in Kansas (didn't see a blog listed for you Theresa)

I have emailed both of you for your snail mail addresses so I can send off the prizes. They're all sitting here just waiting for a mailing envelope and address.

Thanks to all of you who stopped by to enter. I so appreciate everyone's comments and visits! I don't have any special stitching friends here where I live so you are all my friends to chat with and understand my stitching obsession. It's a joy reading all of your blogs and finding out what YOU are doing too.

I spent most of the last few days working on some quilting projects. Right now I have 120 nine-patch blocks to press - oh my! I'm not looking forward to that!

Be back soon.........

Summertime progress & blogoversary giveaway!

So how is everyone doing out there? Are you all stitching away? We've been having great weather - our June has been much cooler than usual which has been so-o-o-o nice. Usually we are frying in temperatures from 105 to 115F this time of year, and we've had some very pleasant days. It also helps keep that air conditioning bill down a bit and that's always good!

I've been making some good progress lately - my DH has been out of town for 3 weeks so I've had more time to myself than I usually do. Not to mention no cooking and less laundry to do. :) Ida Mae Crow's dress is taking shape you can see below. This is my first time stitching on Lakeside Linen's "Vintage Buttercream". I think it's one of their newer colors and I love it! It's a really nice shade, sort of what I would call "butterscotch-y".


I also made a new start over the weekend. This is "Captain's Inn" from Little House Needleworks. I've always wanted to do a grouping of nautical-related pieces. You might think I live by the ocean - NOT. I live in the desert southwest but often wish I did live by some water as I'm starting to really crave it. I've kept a list of charts I'd like to do for this theme and it's time I got busy. I'm stitching this on 32-ct Pewter Lugana (I think....'someone' never labeled it when she brought it home).

It's been awhile since I stitched on an evenweave and I forgot how nice it is - no issues with the coverage like I get with some of the linen & silk combinations. (Note to self: stock up on some more evenweaves.....) It has just the right bluish-gray tone for this piece. I'm not real fond of stitching lettering and I'm anxious to get to the 'fun' part which is the tavern sign. That being said, I still do have plans to stitch the Gettsyburg Address one of these days. Erica Michaels has a chart out for that but I like the one that Liz of Primrose Needleworks is designing on her blog (http://howtomakeanamericansampler.blogspot.com/) and hoping she'll offer the pattern for sale when she gets the model done.

Now on to more exciting things. I have a couple of giveaways in honor of my 3rd blogoversary! There are 2 sets of charts below - some of these are extras I had or they've already been stitched - might as well pass them on. I will also be including a mesh project bag with each set (which I'll be making this weekend so not pictured!). Two names will be drawn so sign up by leaving a comment if you want to be in the drawing for the giveaways. Signup deadline is Sunday June 28th - I'll draw the winning names on Monday the 29th.

Also, here is the information a few of you requested about the mesh bags. The pattern is called "Zip It!" by Nancy Ota. You can find it easily on the internet or perhaps at a quilt or craft store. The most economical way to make these is using black vinyl mesh that you can get at home improvement stores. I get mine at Lowe's but Home Depot probably has it also. It is sold as "pet screening" and you can get a roll for $8 or $9 usually - it's in the department where they sell replacement door or window screening. You can make at least 4 large bags out of one roll. Colored mesh is harder to find - most of mine I have bought at quilt stores or shows where they had vendors. I did find several places online where you can buy the colored mesh. Of these listed, I have only ordered from Erica's before and they gave me good service. As far as sewing skills, these are not difficult to make. The instructions are good and once you make one by following the directions you kind of pick it up pretty easily. You do need to own and know how to operate a zipper foot on your sewing machine. The inside seam is covered with single-fold or double-fold bias tape (either one works) - this is optional but I recommend you do it so there are no rough edges inside that could snag your project.

Links for buying colored vinyl mesh:

http://www.lylefabrics.com/Vinyl-Mesh-for-Bags-Vinyl-Mesh/c28_29/index.html

http://www.ericas.com/sewing/patterns/totes_screenplay.htm (also has the pattern)

http://www.elegantstitches.com/Purses.htm#Bag%20Accessories (scroll WAY down the page)

http://www.metroscreenworks.com/shop/petscreenaccessoriespetscreencolors-c-2_74.html?page=1&sort=20a

http://www.fabricdepot.com/index.php?page=CatalogPage&pageid=5515

Yum.......cupcakes!

Here is my cupcake flatfold - almost good enough to eat! I'm not sure why I made it but I love it. Pink is my favorite color and I find it pretty cheery.

Lizzie Kate's "Cupcake"

Stitched on 25-ct Pearl (included in the kit) with DMC

I sewed and stiched so much this past weekend that my fingers are sore. I think I was under some evil spell as I have never stuck myself on so many pins & needles in my life. Part of the reason is I was sewing project bags using vinyl mesh and zippers etc and it's a little hard to pin through those things (A lot of bent pins went into the wastebasket as proof). I've been planning on making bags for myself for over a year but finally got to it. I finished 10 of them. Now, I love Ziploc bags - I've been using the 2-gallon size for most of my needlework projects, however unglamorous the bags look. They are a fantastic invention I couldn't live without. But it feels great to have moved my UFO's and WIP's to these cute mesh bags. We're all happier now. :=) It's hard to photograph them as the camera sees through the mesh but you get the idea - they are really nice - take my word for it. They show up much better if you click and view the larger picture.

I still have more vinyl mesh and I'll probably sew a few more next month, especially the smaller ones for little projects. Somehow I'm obsessive about being organized - maybe because the world is such a mess I have to have my own little world in order as best as I can. Now I just have to find a basket that is big enough to hold all the bags.

While watching the rerun of Lonesome Dove last night (love that movie), I started a new little project by The Goode Huswife. This is Ida Mae Crow -loved it since I first saw it come out. It is not a big project so should go along fairly quickly. I'm so happy that the Goode Huswife is creating patterns again! I picked this pattern up with a few other odds & ends at the LNS last week. I got my latest Loose Feathers although I don't know that I'll ever stitch it -it's not one of my favorites but being that I love most all of the other 35 they have published I'm not too concerned! I think it's the grayish colors that don't appeal to me. Likely I'll soon see someone else's version with different colors and then fall in love with it. I was behind the door when they passed out originality!

Peppermint Twist - moved to the finished column!

Yeah ! I finished this one up earlier this week. I was stitching along with the blog SAL that started in January. This was a fun stitch and I really enjoyed it. I tried putting some beads on but decided I didn't like them and took them off.

"Peppermint Twist" by Blue Ribbon Designs

Stitched on 35-ct WDW "Straw" linen with various silks

I started up a new little project last night - this is Lizzie Kate's "Cupcake" and I am making it to go with this cute cupcake fabric I got at Joann's a few weeks ago. I changed a couple of the threads to match my fabric better - I'm planning on making it into a flatfold. It's a really easy pattern but I haven't stitched on anything that is 25 ct in a long time so it feels odd. I hope to be done with this over the weekend. I got the inspiration from Deb's ( http://artisticneedle.blogspot.com/) photo album - once I saw it I had to stitch it! If you haven't viewed her photo albums of finishes (her own and from her finishing service) you are in for a treat! She does gorgeous work. I'm not sure where all this cupcake-craze came from but lately I'm seeing cupcake-related things everywhere. But hey, who doesn't like cupcakes??

Normally I shun fabric from Joann's but now and then they do have some cute fabrics for craft projects. I picked up a cute pirate-themed fabric. I recently saw the new pattern "A Pirate's Life" from Country Cottage and I might need to stitch it just for fun. http://www.countrycottageneedleworks.com/new.html

Hope to be back soon with my Cupcake finish!