Finally a new post...and wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Can't believe how fast the time flies by....I've been a bad blogger but trying to get myself back into it.  I think I'm going to designate one day a week as my 'blog day' - a day to catch up on other blogs and update my own and stay off of Facebook!   I need to update my blog list too as so many stitchers are no longer updating their blogs so I need to remove them and find new ones to add.  I'm thankful for those of you still out there!  Facebook groups are fine but on an individual basis I prefer blogging. 

I've been busy with lots of small finishes over the last couple of months.   I'm loving getting some old quilting and stitching projects off my list and pulling out some things that have waited years to be started.  I'm finding lots of cute ornament finishes by other stitchers and want to get back into stitching at least one ornament a month going forward. 

Since I last updated my blog I celebrated a big birthday - I turned 60 - yikes!  It's scary but you can't avoid aging unless you die young so you've got to make the best of it.   My husband and I went to Disneyland for 4 days - we go there on all my 'big' birthdays.  I was born a couple months after Disneyland opened in 1955 and this year they celebrated their Diamond 60th Anniversary so it was fitting for me to join the fun.   Here's a shot of me in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle all decorated in the blue theme for their 60 years, plus a photo of my husband and I on Splash  Mountain (we're in the back 2 seats).  We had a great time!

Here's an update on what I've been working on...hope you enjoy browsing.

I finished up this piece but unfortunately didn't get it framed in time for Thanksgiving.  It's an older pattern called "The Lord's Blessing" by Imaginating.  

Below is a piece I reworked before Halloween.   I received this piece in an exchange several years ago and it was made into a treat bag.  I decided to give it a new life as an easel finish to better showcase the design.  I love how it turned out.  

"Halloween Cat" by Barbara Ana Designs -

the front....

the back....

I made some custom project bags for a gal on Facebook to gift to her stitching pals.  They're kind of hard to photograph because you get glare off of the vinyl fronts...she sent me the fabric and I think they turned out well. 

Below is a was a club piece by Plum Street Samplers I stitched earlier this year...I decided to finish it into a small wallhanging/ tablemat instead of framing it.   It's "Hurt Not the Earth".....

Earlier this month my quilting friends and I headed up to our annual November retreat in northern Arizona for 4 days.  What joy to sit and sew for 4 whole days and have someone cook for you too!   We like to give each other fun little gifts and since I retired over the summer I wanted to make something for everyone.  I bought this pattern on Etsy - it's "Flora Needlebook" by MMMCrafts.   I made 14 of these needlebooks out of wool felt with embroidered embellishments done in DMC.  They were a lot of work but I love how they came out and my friends seemed to like them too.

the covers...I did 2 of each color scheme

how they look inside...wool felt for storing your needles

Here's a few other things I did while at our sewing retreat:

  

I quilted this wallhanging.  I still have to put the binding on it but I'm almost to the finish line.

Closeup of the appliqued center block

This little wallhanging was made from an orphan quilting block I've had lying around for years.  No more guilt!

A purse for  next summer...

This a pattern by Cindy Taylor Oates called "Sit & Sew".  You hang it over the arm of your stitching/sewing chair and it has pockets for your scissors and notions plus a pincushion and holder for a spool of thread on top.  It was fun to make.

And here's my latest finish I did last week.  This old Ewe & Eye & Friends chart has been in my stash for many years...it's called "Let It Snow".  I had a piece of hand-dyed evenweave I got in an exchange years back and it was perfect for this piece.  The fabric was from Sugar Maple Fabrics which sadly isn't in business any longer.  I finished it with mini pom-pom trim to display on a little stand I received from a stitching friend.  These stands are made by Bloom Woodworks - love them and plan on getting some more! 

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow stitchers and bloggers!