Finishes

 I found these little cross stitch pieces in the local thrift store for $2.  

I thought they were so pretty and deserved better than a thrift store cast off. 

So, I bought them and brought them home.

 I decided to make little pillows out of them for my table.

One more item marked off my 'to-do' list!!

I really like how they turned out!

As soon as I get my table runner finished (another item on my 'to-do' list), my basket will be ready to go on the table!

Or, maybe before!!

Home is....

 

My friend, Gail, recently cleaned out her craft basket.  She gave me this cross stitch that she had bought in 1983.  It was a complete kit with cloth, pattern, and floss.  She had stitched part of the H in home.  I took that out, centered it, and started all over again.  It did not take long to stitch and I love what it says.  I think I will finish it as a wall hanging.  This is a large piece measuring 12x18 (cloth) and 7x14 (design).   

Tonight I want to start on a Christmas ornament.  My goal is to make one ornament per month.  I had better get busy if I want to make one for February.  

Friday Finishes

 I had finished this little cross stitch way back in January but never got around to doing anything with it.  This afternoon, I decided to make it into a tiny pillow - just in time for Valentine's Day.

 

And, Wednesday, I finished stitching my little Quaker Acorn.  

Now, I need to finish it into a pillow or wall hanging.  

Sunday Stitching

I like to spend Sundays relaxing.  You more than likely will find me stitching or with a cat in my lap (which makes it hard to stitch!)  Sam of course is always handy to take a picture of since he is always by my side.  Have I mentioned that Sam weighs 20 pounds?!  He is huge!

This stitchery is the Quaker inspired acorn that I won a few weeks ago over at Linda's blog.  I am stitching slow on this pattern.  I did change to a bigger hoop (that I bought for $1 at a thrift store).  I am not sure that I like the bigger hoop but it does make it easier to stitch on the whole section at one time. I will show you my progress next week.  Happy Sunday everyone!

 

Valentine Bird has landed!  I finished this sweet bird a few days ago and framed him myself.  I discovered (although I already knew) that professional framing was very expensive!  I picked this frame up at Goodwill for $1.50!  I think I like it just as well considering the cost!  After Valentine's Day, I will spray paint it black, but for right now it's fine.  You will notice that I got my tail feathers right this time!  Also, the pattern called to sew the button on upside down but I just couldn't do that. 

I love these little birds.  I have the Spring Bird ready to stitch.  I still have a few weeks to get him ready.  

 

Thank you for looking.  Have a Happy Valentine's Day!!

Winter Bird

 

I picked up my framed bird this morning from my local framing shop.  I hung him in my kitchen above my sink.  I also noticed, as soon as I was about to pay for it, that I had messed up on the tail feathers.  Looks like I forgot to skip a line.  *sigh*  It was only after I started doing cross stitching that I realized I could not count!  I must have missed that day at school!!  Oh well, I love my quirky little bird.  He will be fine for the winter months and he still makes me smile when I look at him.  

Ornament #7 - Silent Night

Design:  Silent Night

Designer:  Heidi at All My Scattering Moments

Another ornament finished!  This one is Silent Night by Heidi.  I hope it is OK with Heidi that I changed the colors of Silent Night and added a cross to the little church.  This little church reminds me of some many of the little country churches around here.  I just love this ornament.  My goal is to make at least 12 ornaments this year, this is number seven so I am well on my way.  Let me know what you think of the ornaments!  I always enjoy reading your comments.  Thanks for looking!!

Ornament #5 - Warm Hands & Heart

 

Another design from Heidi.  You can find this sweet chart here.   I may just leave this one out until winter is over.  I found this material in my mother's stash which makes it very dear to me.  Thank you Heidi for this sweet design. 

I have more of Heidi's design to finish.  I have them stitched and just need to decide how to finish.  I hope you come back soon!

Ornament #3 - Candy Canes

 

Design - Candy Canes

Designer - Heidi

I decided to stitch this sweet little ornament this afternoon and I had one problem after another.  Ever had a day like that?  First, the candy canes should be red and white but the white did not show up on my cloth.  So, I had to improvise.  I like Heidi's original design much better but this will work.  Now I just noticed that I did not put the year on there.  *sigh*  My sewing machine didn't want to stitch and kept clogging up in the bobbin.  It was just one of those days!  So, please don't judge Heidi's creative endeavors by my poor stitching!  She is very talented and I can't wait to stitch all of her Christmas designs!

What I am working on...

 

I thought I would take a picture of what I am working on today.  I took this picture this morning and have finished the stitching.   I need to decide how I want to finish it.  

Reindeer Ornament

I finished up this cute little reindeer ornament this morning. I just love him. This would be a good one to make for a gift if you want to make more than one. It stitches quickly. It's a free chart called Jinglebell Reindeer by Sharon Bennett found on Daffycat blog.

I am so pleased with myself. This is ornament #4 - that's a record for me!! I have one more that I need to do some french knots and it will be ready to finish.

Matter of fact, just looking at this, it could stay out all winter. We have tons of deer here. I almost hit 3 the other night coming home after dark. Fortunately, they turned and ran the other way as my car got closer.

Believe Ornament

I am honored to count Heidi as one of my dear Internet friends. She is talented beyond words and a constant source of inspiration. She is hosting a Primitive Ornament SAL on her blog, Needle Necessities for the coming year. She will be posting a new ornament on the 15th of every month. I just love this little ornament. Check it out, it's not too late to get in on the fun!!

PS - The background of this ornament is my ironing board. Don't you love my new ironing board cover? The other one literally fell apart one day. My ironing board sees a lot of action. It's used every single day of the year!!! I didn't think $5 was a bad price to pay for a new cover.

Stitching Progress

I've been working away on this Lizzie Kate December Flip It pattern. I, of course, have changed almost every color because I believe in using the colors I have on hand. Originally, I thought this would be a nice ornament but now I think it will be too big. I could stitch each little picture as an ornament - something to think about.....

If I could stick with one craft project, I might make more progress. I also did some knitting this morning. I can hear the sewing machine calling my name. *sigh* Too many projects, too little time. These people I live with think I should cook, clean, talk to them, give them hugs and kisses; they just don't understand.

2nd Christmas Ornament

Boy, I am on a roll this month! This is my 2nd cross stitch ornament that I have finished this year! With my goal of 12, I am only 10 away. This is free pattern from Tanya at The Honeysuckle Tree. I just had a very small scrap and had to rework the "V" to make it fit on the cloth! Still, I like how it turned out. Now, on to the next ornament. I have ordered some patterns and am waiting for them to come in. I just know that I have something here that I can start while I am waiting for them come....

First 2009 Christmas Ornament

One of my many goals for Christmas, is to finish at least one ornament a month! Such a lofty goal for me. I had the same goal last year but didn't make the goal. I finished stitching this little ornament on Friday, reworked it on Saturday, and finished it on Sunday. It was a free pattern from Tanya At The Honeysuckle Tree. The original pattern called for a little crown instead of the bell. I stitched that in but since I didn't have the right color of gold, I didn't care for it very much. So, I tore the stitching out and put the bell in instead. I like the bell. Then, I made it into a pin keep. (I really liked the pin keeps I see on the web.) However, I didn't like the pin keep that I made so I tore that apart too! Then, I just made it into a little stuffed ornament for the tree. I really do like how it turned out! To be such a tiny ornament, I spent 3 days getting it to its finished state. Now, on to the next one!!

1st Christmas Ornament Finished

Hooray for me! I finished my very first cross stitch 2008 Christmas ornament! I had originally thought I would make enough of these for my annual swap but have decided that I did not want to make 12 of these because of the tree branches! LOL! The buttons are from my mother's button stash and are all old. So, this ornament is extra special to me. I have a goal of making at least 1 ornament per month during 2008.

Valentine Stitching Finished!

Now I remember why I quit stitching. I am obsessed with it until it is finished. Everything else goes by the way! LOL! Here is the finished stitching of "February". It is a Lizzie Kate design and I enjoyed stitching it very much. I think it would have looked better on darker material - maybe next time! Now I need to decide how to finish it - a pillow, frame, or wall hanging. Hmm....