Thank you Martha Stewart!

Thank you dear readers and friends for all your lovely comments about my scissor display.  I love organizing my stash almost as much as stitching it that's for sure.   I've been keeping all my patterns in 2 file drawers in my office/sewing/stitching room for probably 10 years.  The drawers kept getting more and more tightly packed with stash acquisitions to the point it was getting difficult to pull out patterns let alone squeeze any more in. I couldn't get to any in the back without pulling out a bunch of folders first to get my hands back in there.

Of course I COULD quit buying more patterns but let's face it - that's not going to happen!  I decided it was time to make some room.  I know a lot of stitchers keep their patterns in binders, but although I've got most of my patterns in those see-through page protectors I never had used binders.  I took a look at what I had and decided that I could make more room by (1) putting my 2 bulging file folders of Prairie Schooler charts in binders, and (2) finding a place for all those half-size patterns (the ones that are sized like the LHN ones).  I thought maybe I could find half-size page protectors to fit those patterns and get some of those smaller ring binders to hold them. 

So off I went to check out Staples office supply store.  They do make half-size page protectors I found out and so  got a few bulk packs of those (they were about $5.49 for 25 - Staples own brand).......then I started looking at the vinyl binders to fit that size. WHOA - these binders, even the cheapest ones, were like $7-8 apiece.  This was not going to work out if I had to pay that kind of price.  Just then I noticed a clearance rack.  They had a bunch of Martha Stewart branded office supplies marked way down.  I found out from the cashier later that since Martha has a new line out, they were closing out some of her older stuff.  Well there was a stack of binders - not vinyl but very nice - and also cute adhesive label holders. The binders were 50 cents each!  I grabbed every aqua and brown one they had plus the little label packs for a dollar, and I got 14 binders in all.  What a steal!!   I didn't even need that many binders but I couldn't pass up a deal like this.

I put all the patterns that would fit into these little binders, putting 2 patterns in each page protector.  Martha Stewart also makes various sizes of page protectors so I got a small pack that would fit some of the tiny patterns.   I'm real happy with it all and now I have more room in my file drawers.  As Martha would say, it's a good thing!

I do have some progress to show you on the Humble Servant Sampler.  It's coming along well and I'm enjoying this project a lot.

Shakespeare's Peddler - Jenny Bean Humble Servant Sampler

who doesn't love a purple cow??

My next project is figuring out a better way to store all this DMC floss - it's taking up too much room!

My Gingher scissor collection - voila!

Hi everyone....thought I'd share with you a little do-it-yourself project I did last month.  I've been collecting those Gingher designer embroidery scissors for years like so many of you but sadly they've just been stored in a box and not really on display.  I know a lot of people have used lovely glass flower frogs and while I love those, I had too many scissors and would've had to buy several and I really don't know where I'd put them all. 

Then one day while searching on Gingher scissors in Google I stumbled on a stitcher's blog and WOW she had a beautiful display!  Let's give credit where credit is due - this is from a stitching blog called Periwinkle Ink.  I never would've thought of this myself.   It was just what I needed so I headed right off to eBay to see if I could find one of these vases. (If you search on "Southern Home vase" you will find them easily.  I only paid $7.00-9.00 US for mine - the shipping was more than the vase).  Luckily they are plentiful and easy to find.  What I love is that it has 22 holes so can hold a lot of scissors!  The only thing is they only come in butter yellow (even though some of the photographs on eBay look white - they aren't).  It's a very pretty yellow mind you but just didn't go in my sewing room.  Well I bought one anyway and then I started wondering if it was possible to paint it.  Hmmmm...the wheels were turning..........

Thank goodness for all of those DIY blogs!  I found a blog that explained how to paint pottery and so my little project was born.   I marched off to Walmart to stock up on spray paint - white primer for a base coat then a white lacquer spray to go on top of that.  I also got a can of Krylon clear coat for a sealer.

After many coats and a few booboos later I finally got it painted white.   I'm not a master of spray painting - I tend to be too impatient and you have to give it several light coats and not let it drip etc.    My sewing room is aqua and pink so I then got on my computer and played around to create a label as I thought the vase needed a little something.  I created a label using a free graphic oval from the Graphics Fairy blog and Powerpoint, then added the pink color using Microsoft Paint.  A graphic artist I'm not but I got it looking pretty good I think.  Getting it to stay on the vase was a bit of a trial - I tried printing it on a clear label - wouldn't stick.....I tried printing it on a piece of waterslide decal paper purchased off eBay....what a nightmare that was!  Another failure.  Finally I just printed it on white label paper I use for shipping labels and right after I stuck it on the vase I gave it a coat of the spray clearcoat.  So far it's staying put thankfully.   Now I was almost done but I decided to buy a small piece of foam at Joann's and cut an oval to stick down in the vase.  This holds the scissors up a bit so more of the pretty handles show and they don't slide down in the holes as much.

So here it is finally - 22 of my Ginghers on display finally in my sewing room!  I'm really happy with it and have bought a couple more vases for "future growth" LOL.  I still have 5 pairs of scissors that don't have a home yet so I'll be starting on painting another vase this weekend.  Oh these addictions we have!

2013...please slow it down!

Oh my I can't believe it's the end of February!  Where have the last two months gone to??  I feel badly about not updating my blog but thankfully I've only lost a a few of my followers.  Thanks for hanging in there with me dear readers!  I also am woefully behind in my blog reading...I'd like to mark everything as 'read' and start over but I might miss something important  - like some stash that I just MUST have you know   So I will try to make the rounds of my blogs and catch up with everyone.

I'm dreadfully late in publicly thanking dear Joanie from over at Joanie's World...I won a big giveaway on her blog in November and I received a big box on Dec 24th! It was like a visit from Santa Claus!!  Joanie sent me 33 - yes 33!- patterns she had already stitched or didn't want anymore. I was totally awed!   A few of them I already had so I've set them aside to start a giveaway pile for sometime in March (stay tuned to this space)/

I've been fitting in stitching time whenever I can but life has been hectic.  I've been without a boss since the end of October and then my boss's boss also took another position so it's been crazy with lots of extra work and we're still waiting for new management to get announced.   I did do a New Year's day start although it's not gotten very far yet.  Here is Shakespeare's Peddler's "Jenny Bean's Humble Servant Sampler".  This is a piece that you don't really appreciate from the photo on the pattern but I was lucky enough to see a model a couple years ago at a shop. I love the colors and it's a fun stitch.  It calls for using 1 strand of overdyed cottons on 40-ct fabric.  I had trouble with not liking the coverage I was getting on motifs stitched in black so I substituted a silk for those - I'm picky about my coverage and hate when it looks skimpy!

I also started a new embroidery project this month.  I blogged about this a few years ago.   My mom taught me to embroider when I was about 8 years old...I made a set of dishtowels with motifs of ducks doing housework. Those types of motifs were popular in the 50's and 60's - puppies, lambs, ducks, dancing dishes and silverware, etc.   My mom bought the transfers through an ad in the newspaper. They were supposed to be for my 'hope chest' but I married late so I used them and abused them when I was single  and got rid of them after they wore out.  About 4 years ago I ran across some vintage embroidery transfers on eBay and decided to see if I could find the duckies from my childhood.  It took me more than 3 years watching eBay and not finding them - they weren't one of the big brands so hard to find.  One day I logged on and there they were!  People are reprinting the old patterns because they're out of copyright now.  So I bought them and I'm recreating my duck towels almost 50 years later!  It feels good.  I can still remember my mom telling me to take small and neat stitches :-)   I think I've improved Mom!

 

 

And speaking of old things.....at Christmastime I noticed how dated a couple of my old cross-stitch ornaments looked.  I made these in the late 80's before I was married.  They were mounted on these little sticky ornaments pads they used to sell and I had put country ruffles on them (everything was mauve & blue in the 80's you know!) The backs were all yellowed and yet I still liked the little Santas.   Figuring I had nothing to lose I threw them in a bowl of water and let them soak.  When they got all soft and mushy I tore them apart.  Since they were stitched with DMC there was no issue with anything bleeding. I ironed and trimmed them and remade them into new ornaments. I think they look a lot better now.

 

80's style ornaments....

After tearing them apart....

New & Improved!



And I've been doing some finishing in the last 6 weeks too...some for myself and some for a friend.  I hope you enjoy looking at them.  I'm working on finishing up a display for my Gingher scissor collection and hope to share it in a few days.   I really need to be a better blogger!

An alphabet freebie chart made into a flatfold

BBD's Joyeux Noel stocking and LHN's Deck The Halls

Some Lizzie Kate smalls........

Love Letters by With Thy Needle & Thread

and the stockings got finished just in time.........

I finished sewing up my doggies' two new stockings on Friday and got them hung by the chimney with care and 3 days to spare.  I made it!   This is something I've been wanting to do for years and this year I got them done.   So glad these are finally off my list!  I really dislike doing the finishing work on these with the cording, the ruffling, and all. Whew!

I've been battling a cold for about 10 days - went to the doctor last week hoping to avoid a bout of bronchitis and feel better for Christmas week. I'm using less tissues today and hoping I've finally turned the corner.  I've just had to keep on going regardless and not let it ruin my Christmas.

I finally spent some birthday gift certificates I had and ordered some wonderful stash from my favorite online shops.  Love getting stash in the mail!  I hope to start something new next week after Christmas...I'm still in a holiday stitching mood.

A special note to "Nancy in WI" - you don't have an email address in your Profile so I couldn't contact you.  The quilt in my photos from the last post is called 'Garden Gate' by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.  I would be happy to send you my pattern for it  and a better photo if you contact me via email - my email address is in my profile.

A big "thank you" to all of you for visiting my blog this year. I so appreciate your visits and when you take time to leave a comment it really makes my day!    I'll leave you with some of the sights of Christmas at my house.   I wish all of you a very happy holiday wherever you are!

Some decorating...some finishing....it's all good....

Hi all...hope this finds you in the holiday spirit! My decorating is done and I don't have much shopping to do this year so I'm in pretty good shape. I didn't go too crazy this year...put up my 2 trees in the family room and living room and about half of my other items and that was enough. I really have more Christmas things than I have room to display, especially cross-stitching! Someimes I forget how much I have until I start hauling it out LOL. Thought I'd share a few pics with you of some of my holiday decorating...most of these Santas were stitched back in the 80's but I still enjoy them. I swapped out some of my samplers for the season and hung some of my Christmas pieces in their place - less holes in the walls that way so the husband is happy.  This isn't even all of them...I'm running out of room but not going to let it slow me down....I love holiday stitching!  Hard to get good photos - it's cloudy here today but that's okay we need some rain.

 

A few holiday treasures........

 

Anyone remember this Santa from CS&CC magazine? My best friend and I stitched it together (yeah...1987!)  and I still remember what a pain the face was - all quarter-stitches!

 



My sampler wall turned holiday-ish......

An old Santa from a Leisure Arts magazine

All I recall about this one is the name -  "Pere Noel".  A pink Santa..perfect in my book!

I own all the annual Prairie Schooler Santa patterns but have only  stitched 2 of the early ones!  Back then they sold coordinating mats and frames for them but those days are long gone.......

I love my little Christmas mouse...even though I'm terrified of a real one LOL

I just picked this up from the framer last weekend....LHN's "Pointsettia House" which I renamed  to my own liking....

Up next is some finishing work I've been doing for a lovely stitchy friend I met though my blog.  Cindy (no blog) does amazing over-one stitching and it's been fun helping her turn these projects into little ornaments and other things.  I've enjoyed doing it, but I keep adding them to my list of things to stitch as I love them all!

This is "Hospitality" by Shakespeare's Peddler

A little quail freebie from Prairie Schooler - too cute!

Another PS freebie...a little snowman

Don't they look cute nestled together??

Here's a little Bent Creek chart called "Sparkle", made into a ornament

 

This is "Smitten" by All Through the House.  Cindy provided an antiqued wooden box lid that it was mounted on.

And finally this is "A Wassailing", another chart from Shakespeare's Peddler, made into an easel/flatfold.

 

Thank you Cindy for letting me work on your lovely pieces!

 

 

P.S.  I hadn't even heard about the tragedy today in Connecticut as I was writing this.  So very senseless and horrific.   So many troubled young people..I just don't understand.  My heart goes out to all affected by this and I hope we can find some way to get to these troubled people before they resort to actions like this.  :-(



I'm back in Blogland again! (picture heavy....)

I'm sorry I've been gone so long but I'm back again with lots to share!   You may need to go get a cup of coffee  (or in my case, a Diet Coke) while this loads!   Thanks to all my followers for not leaving me behind - I truly appreciate  you sticking with me. 

I had to get out the paint and tools and fix up the ol' blog for the holidays.  Sometimes Blogger is so slow it gets very tedious trying to get everything the way you want it.   My job  has been incredibly busy for me the last 8 weeks - my boss took another position in the company and I've had to take a lot of her work so I've been scrambling with that and lots of yearend activities.   Hoping things start to slow down once they hire someone. (and no I don't want the job)  I've been on a few trips since I last posted at the beginning of September...and even as busy as I've been, I took any spare moments I could to finish up some UFO's and keep on chugging along on my stitching projects.  Here's what I've been up to since I last posted...........

First....I finished my oldest quilting UFO - hurray for me!!

I started this applique project probably 12 years or so ago --- yes it's true.  It's all hand-applique using the needleturn method and believe me I regretted that decision more than once as there are so many teeny tiny pieces especially the window frames!  I finished up the quilt top probably 5 or 6 years ago but then I put it away for a long time before I finally got around to do the quilting . I hand-quilted it all which took me another year working on it off and on between other projects.  Then it got shoved in the closet again until I could face sewing on all the buttons and things. I hate sewing buttons on and this really had a lot!   I was hating the whole quilt by the time I got done but I persevered and I'm SO happy to finally have it off my list!  May I present "Welcome to the North Pole"..........

 Here is Santa and his reindeer riding across the sky....

Santa welcomes you......

 

     Shopping at the North Pole..

 

North Pole calories...

 

Bunking with the reindeer......

 

More of Santa's village....

 

The moon is big at the North Pole.........

 

 



Then we visited "the King" in Las Vegas.....at the Graceland Wedding Chapel

 

My husband and I had a renewal of our vows service at this same place 15 years ago...so much fun.  Our friends were at our service back then and wanted to have a fun marriage ceremony there as well when they finally decided to tie the knot after 18 years together!   The service is done by an Elvis impersonator  - only in Vegas baby!  Here's a shot of my husband and I in front of the building reminiscing about our ceremony there 15 years ago........we definitely look a bit older!

 

 

I was able to finish off another applique quilt....

 

This is "Winter Memories" with pics of some of my favorite blocks.  I really loved making this quilt which I fell in love with after seeing a model of it at a quilt show a few years ago.

 

"Winter Memories" designed by Acorn Quilts

 

This quilt is supposed to look like old photos...see the old-fashioned photo corners

 

Did you have a sled like this one? 

 (I designed this block myself to replace one  I didn't like in the pattern)

Yummm.....hot chocolate!

What's winter without a snowman...

 

Remember those mittens attached to a string that went through your sleeves? 

 

...and then I stitched and finished two more ornaments...

 

LHN's "Be Merry" and "Hot Chocolate"

Love  when I have the perfect fabric in my stash......

 

The husband and I took a trip to New England - so beautiful!

 

I took over 400 digital photos on our "leaf peeping" trip to New England the first part of October....yikes!  For your benefit I'll only put a couple here LOL.  I've been to Boston before but never much outside of there.  I loved traveling through Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  We ate maple candy and cookies...we visited Ben & Jerry's headquarters....we saw a gazillion gorgeous trees...we visited Vermont's quaint general stores and villages and ate their famous cheeses...we sang The Sound of Music as we visited the Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe....we walked the Freedom Trail all over Boston and went to historic Fenway Park...we visited some famous diners mentioned on "Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives".....we saw lighthouses and walked on the beaches...we ogled the awesome homes and the Bush compound at Kennebunkport and had our first lobster rolls - heavenly!  What's with the whoopie pies all over New England? I had no idea they were so popular there!

 

 

 

 

 

and I got another sampler framed.........

 

It took me forever to pick out the frame but I think I did good....it's a rustic frame that picks up the reddish/brown hues in this piece.  I am thrilled to finally have this one ready to hang.  I always get museum glass on my pieces which makes it hard to photograph but here's the best I could do.  This is "With My Needle" by The Goode Huswif - a beautiful sampler!

 

  

then I did something a little crazy........

 

Here's a photo of me and someone famous.....do some of you recognize who it is? 

 



 

This is Ralph Waite who played John Walton (the father) in the series "The Waltons". I always liked the series and I have all the seasons on DVD. Earlier this summer I was reading about them celebrating the series' 40th anniversary this year....and there was a cast and fan reunion weekend scheduled in September in Burbank, California. I thought it would be fun and since I'm close to there (Phoenix) I decided I would go.    I've never been to any sort of 'fan' event.   The cast and fan clubs have had reunions almost every year since 1997 but this was the biggest ever - and since it was held in the LA area this time they had a great turnout from the cast, writers, directors, and guest stars - most of whom live in California. There was a dinner, an autograph session, a visit to Warner Bros studio to see what's left of the house and outdoor sets used in the series, and a red carpet reunion show/event at a theatre in LA.   All of the cast came except for "John Boy" (Richard Thomas) and "Olivia" (Michael Learned) who were currently cast in plays and couldn't attend. Everyone was super friendly and down-to-earth and I got tons of autographs and photos.  The cast has stayed close over the years and all of them regard it as their second family.   The series creator Earl Hamner  was there (that's him standing in the back - the tall one).  What a treat it was to hear him speak in his famous voice and to hear all the actors talk about the series and what it meant to them.  I had a great time meeting other fans as well - and just so happy I went.

 

Some of the Waltons cast 40 years later.......

  

....and right now I'm frantically trying to finish some Christmas stockings... 

 

I always had plans to stitch stockings for our dogs that would match ours...but I'm doing the abbreviated versions instead of the full pictorial style or they would never get done!  Buster's is done and I'm working on Abby's below it now....stitching as fast as I can so I can get them "finished-finished"  for Christmas.   It's hard stitching with 3 strands of floss on 25-count....I feel like I'm stitching with a toothpick and string now after my normal 36 or 40-ct fabric and petite tapestry needles!    These patterns are from the old CS&CC magazines from the 80's-early 90's.  The wallpaper patterns were all in blue & mauve (as was EVERYthing in the 80's!) so I changed the colors a bit - using more teal so they won't look as dated. 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it folks.....if you've managed to make it through all the way to the end I thank you for visiting!  I have been cruising around your blogs as I can and everyone has lovely things posted.   I'm anxious to get these stockings done because I want to start a fun holiday project - there are so many to choose from!

 

P.S. I was notified yesterday I won a charts giveaway on Joanie's blog - yippee!!  I'll post pictures when I receive it.