Monday, April 07, 2014

Finishes and Fun.........

Hi all you stitchers out there, I hope spring is finally getting to most of you. I was in Illinois last week for a family issue and it was still in the 30's some days - brrrr!  Enough of winter already!  I was really glad to get back to warm Arizona.   Some of you may have seen the latest post on Laura's Maude & Mozart blog - we happened to meet each other when I stopped at a shop in the southwestern Chicago suburbs on my way to the airport to fly home last Saturday.  What are the odds?!?!?  I always enjoy Laura's posts about the ladies she stitches with at the shop and all the wonderful projects she shows us.  So I made time in my schedule to stop and see Laura's LNS The Inspired Needle in Lemont, Illinois.   I was there just a few minutes after the store opened and grabbing up some stash when in walked a customer who was greeted by the owner as "Ms. Duet".  Well I knew that was Laura's last name from reading her blog and we had emailed once or twice so I spoke up and said "Are you Laura?" and explained that I am a follower of her blog and mentioned my blog which she reads also.  It felt like the planets were aligning that we both happened to be in the shop at the exact same time yet we live in different states 1800 miles from each other!  It was so fun to meet a fellow blogger in person!   We snagged another customer to take a snap of us.  Laura hopes to get to the Phoenix area this summer for a trip to my LNS -  Attic Needlework. Hopefully we can meet up again - Laura it was great to meet you! 

Laura & Me at The Inspired Needle in Lemont Illinois -
two happy stitching bloggers!

I do have some finishes to share. I had fun stitching the "Forever Young" sampler from Heartstring Samplery with a friend - we did it pretty quickly and it was fun cheering each other on. I used some of my own thread substitutions and I did use just one thread instead of 2 in the greenery of the big fruit bowl as it seemed to let the "fruits" stand out a bit more.   This one is going to the bottom of the big framing pile for the time being because I have 3 pieces out being framed now and a few more waiting in the wings.    If anyone would like this pattern I will pass it along- just leave a comment stating you'd be interested in having it and I'll draw a name at the end of this week and send it to you.


"Forever Young" by Heartstring Samplery

It's been awhile since I've done much quilting but I had a chance to go to an open sewing day at a quilt shop near me a few weeks back.  They had a local quilt designer there all day and we had a blast - they were giving away all sorts of goodies all day and having raffles and it was nice just having an entire day to sit and sew again.  I've got a pile going of little stitched projects I am reworking/repurposing. Some pieces I just didn't like how they were framed years back or my skills had improved and I wanted to redo the finishing. I took 2 older pieces and put them on the front of 2 lined project bags I made. I really like how they turned out and it was fun seeing some old projects get a new life!  I also finished up a little pincushion kit I had picked up a few years ago in a quilt store - the quilt block is called "Arizona" and it came with a matching little charm.  It's stuffed with crushed walnut shells - lots of tiny tiny pieces to sew together!





I was getting in the Christmas spirit early this year doing a bit of finishing for a cyber buddy....I can't believe that we are the second quarter of the year already.  The top piece is mounted to a fabric-covered board to hang on a door and the other pieces were finished as ornaments.   I love all of them!

"Jingle as Ye Enter, Jingle as Ye Go" - design by Nancy at Victorian Motto

 
This is a little Prairie Schooler Santa finished as a flat ornie
(yes we have grass during the winter here LOL)

And I think these are Lizzie Kate designs but not entirely sure now...
 
I had grand intentions of stitching an ornament a month this year but my life has just been way too hectic. I did stitch this little JBW design which has been in my stash a long time...it's a little too big to be an ornament so I think I'll make it into a little flatfold hopefully soon. For some reason this little piece seemed to be cursed, I kept making mistake after mistake after mistake.  I finally finished the wording along the bottom as the last part when I noticed that the chart has two different capital P's used for Plum and Pudding.  So I had to rip out one of them and redo that as well but it's finally done.
 
"Plum Pudding" by JBW Designs
stitched on WDW Cocoa linen with DMC
 
Now I have to get busy stitching on a present I'm making for my mom...
 


27 comments:

  1. Great post, lots of pretty things to look at. Your finishing is beautiful and the repurposed items look great. I'll pass on Forever Young though; got too much stash as it is! I thought after reading Laura's post that it was only a matter of time before you posted also! That grass looks so inviting!

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  2. What lovely stitching, love your all your sewing too. lovely post.

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  3. Beautiful stitching and finishing:-)

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  4. How great that you met Laura.
    All of your projects are nice.
    I especially like the mouse pouch.
    Marilyn

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  5. I saw Laura's post -- what fun is that! Glad you two bumped into each other. Love all the stitching. Forever Young is gorgeous -- love the colors! Glad you got to go to that open sewing event. Sounds like a lot of fun!

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  6. Love your finishes. Great way to use up some fun stitches with the project bags!

    Pics love Forever Young too, and would like to stitch it now that you inspired me. Thanks for sharing with your blog readers.

    Yes, you are so lucky to live where you have green grass in winter. We still do not have spring yet in Iowa!

    Pam in Iowa

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  7. What fun to meet a fellow blogger!! I'm sure you were glad to escape that frigid IL weather, though! I'm sure you appreciate your own warm state after that visit :)

    Lovely, lovely stitching AND finishing as always, Jeanne--I always look forward to your posts!

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  8. How fun to have a chance meeting like that! I'm glad your trip home was uneventful. Love all your finishes.

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  9. That was so neat that you two got to meet like that! Such wonderful finishes here.

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  10. Isn't Laura a sweet lady! I've had the pleasure of stitching with her and her friends for an entire weekend! Had a great good time!

    My goodness gracious! You have loads of stitching done and all perfectly and gorgeously finished! LOVE each one :)

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  11. How great was that for you to meet Laura :) And congrats on all your finishes they are all lovely :)

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  12. Jeanne - what eye candy in this post - lots of great stuff from your needle. I saw Laura's post - isn't Cathy R the best !!! Inspired Needle is now my Not-so- LNS. I order everything from her, she is so on the ball - great shop plus she joined our local EGA chapter here in NE FL as a plural so we just love her to pieces. I'd love to be entered in your giveaway - Forever Young is so sweet and not something I have ever seen before. Cheers and take care of you ! Mel

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  13. Jeanne, it does look like you've been quite busy! What a fun coincidence to bump into Lauta, I wonder how oftem something like that might happen?

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  14. How fun to meet another stitching blogger friend! Your stitching and finishes are really great. Nice work!

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  15. Your post made me smile. I adore all the pieces you have made. How nice you met laura. Stitchers are the best.

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  16. Great update Jeanne! So great that you met Laura!
    So many lovely finishes.The sampler is lovely. The project bags are gorgeous as is all the finishing you have done.
    Stitch on!

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  17. Oh my, Jeanne, what a newsy post this is, with lots of eye candy, too. Great that you could meet Laura in her shop, you two certainly had a lot of chatting to do.

    Congratulations on the sampler finish. You definitely have been busy finishing and refinishing all these ornaments and bags. Love these bags, they look gorgeous. When I'll be back home I'llhave to try one of these, too.

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  18. Beautiful stitching and finishing. What are the chances of meeting a fellow blogger like that! I'm sure it made your day.

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  19. Small world! How fun to meet a blogging friend. I'm sure coming from Arizona, Illinois had to feel cold. Well, actually it WAS cold here last week.

    Fantastic stitching!

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  20. Lovely that you got to meet a blogger friend just by chance. Loved your story. Beautiful seeing all your pretty finishes and pretty stitching. Loved your post.
    love Annette

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  21. So cool that you ran into a fellow blogger!!! Wow your stitching is fantastic and so is your finishing. It looks like you've been really busy!

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  22. Thanks for sharing such lovely pictures! I love what you did with the bags and will definitely be borrowing that idea. Forever Young is a great piece and I would love to stitch it. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  23. Lots to ooh and ah over Jeanne!! That's wonderful that you got to meet Laura. It's great meeting bloggy friends! Forever young is just beautiful. The colours are so pretty!! You can throw my name in the hat! Your project bags are darling and so perfect. I probably have mentioned this before, but I really love the one you made for me :D The quilted pillow looks like it was time consuming but worth every minute!! Lovely Christmas finishes too!! Hugs to you Jeanne!!

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  24. How fun to meet a fellow stitching blogger! Great stitching. Love your finishing.

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  25. How great to meet Laura like that!

    Your sampler is gorgeous and great finishing on the other projects.

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  26. Everything is lovely! How nice to meet a fellow blogger in person.

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  27. Lots of lovely stitching and finishing Jeanne. Forever Young is a lovely piece.

    How wondeful to meet Laura :)

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