July 12, 2009

A little stash, a little gift and a little from the garden.....

It's that time of year when the new Christmas fabric lines are hitting the stores. I've learned the hard way to get them while the gettin' is good. :) If you look real hard, you'll see my only stitching stash purchase since early in the year (at least I think it's been that long!). Can't pass up those Blackbird stockings, too cute!


This little set went to Diane as a welcome back home gift when she visited the U.S. last month. It was the first time I made one of the thread holders, it turned out okay but for some reason, really tested my patience. I used the tutorial from The Stitching Room.


All the heat and humidity has the garden in full bloom, it's a beautiful thing to wake up to.



Thanks for stopping by!

Labels: , ,

 
posted by Deb at 12:28 PM | 5 comments
July 10, 2009

Summer Sweetbag Exchange from Patti.....

I received the most wonderful exchange package from Patti earlier this week. The bag is beautifully stitched and finished, it's just perfect. Patti also sent along some beautiful fabrics, stationary and a guide on Rhyming Cockney Slang that's too funny.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart Patti, your package put a big smile on my face, I love it all. :)



Labels:

 
posted by Deb at 1:12 PM | 6 comments
July 2, 2009

Patriotic exchange for Wendy Jo.....

Wendy Jo has received the Patriotic exchange package I sent, late as always. In one of those weird coincidences, I stitched the same design for her that she stitched for her partner. :)


Little House Needleworks - Liberty and Justice fob & floss tag
Pincushion made from Moda's Flag Day Farm charm pack


Patti - I use Picasa 3 software to create the collages.

I hope everybody has a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Thanks for stopping by - 'til next time.....

Labels: , ,

 
posted by Deb at 8:45 PM | 6 comments
June 18, 2009

Patriotic Exchange from Marie.....

Marie sent a wonderful exchange package full of goodies from my wish list. There are jelly bellies, needles, linen, Crescent Colors floss, a Twisted Threads chart and a primitive quilted pin. Most wonderful of all is the patriotic needlebook, I love everything about it.


Thanks so much for your generosity Marie!

Labels:

 
posted by Deb at 9:39 AM | 2 comments
June 8, 2009

Stash Blog Updated.....

with lots of lovely Merry Cox class charts - Stash Sale

The garden is thriving with all the rain and humidity but I am slowly melting away. My countdown for fall/winter has started and it's not even officially summer yet!



Join me please in a little pre-celebratory happy dance, I'll be stitching this weekend!

'Til next time, thanks for visiting!

Labels:

 
posted by Deb at 5:16 PM | 1 comments
June 5, 2009

Friends are a blessing.....


A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart..... Unknown

Labels:

 
posted by Deb at 8:33 PM | 3 comments
May 26, 2009

Thank you(s) all around.....

A big thank you to everybody for the comments both here and via email about the Beach House pincushion. Who knew my sleepless night would turn out so well?

Thanks also for all the suggestions on sleeping but really, it's normally not a problem at all as long as I stay away from the chocolate. :)

Regarding the chenille trim: I should have said that you need to call the ladies at The Quilter's Station to order it.

I received this lovely gift package in the mail over the weekend. Everything is wonderful and gorgeous but.....





don't you just love the vintage ribbon? Thank you again Ms. H!

Last but not least, in the garden this week ~



Thanks so much for stopping by!

Labels: ,

 
posted by Deb at 5:50 PM | 6 comments
May 20, 2009

Beach House Pincushion.....

What does a restless night and a link for a tutorial result in?



I don't sleep much so when my head hits the pillow I'm asleep. Dead asleep. Just ask anybody who's ever tried to wake me. And when I wake up, I'm wide awake.

Occasionally though, something goes haywire (we won't talk about the late night piece of chocolate in an otherwise caffeine free diet that could be the cause) and I just toss and turn until I finally fall asleep. This time I decided to do something productive, who cares if it was 3am? I mean, what's the use of all that tossing and turning anyway? It never helps. Nor does punching the pillow or flipping it over or tossing the covers off only to pull them back on again.

Most times, my brain takes off on a tangent during the tossing and turning phase which doesn't help matters any. Usually silly stuff that seems very important at the time. Very much on my mind this night was the need to replace a 5 year old pincushion that has definitely seen better days. Add that to an email sitting in my inbox from Debs with a tutorial for a biscornu made from fabric. I knew what fabric I wanted to use - Blackbird's Beach House line. So I flew out of bed, turned on my laptop and sewing machine, lugged my rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat out, I was on a mission.

All of this sounds like a brilliant use of time doesn't it? I thought so, until I actually sat down at the sewing machine and couldn't see what I was doing because I was yawning non-stop. I was determined to finish though, how hard could it be? I discovered that I have no patience when I'm tired. None. Which is why, after ripping seams twice just sewing the 4 patches together and attempting to sew them into a biscornu shape twice, I gave up and went to bed.

I woke with the intention to finish it and another idea already rattling around in my brain. I had all that lovely chenille trim that I hadn't played with yet. And wait, I also have that huge bag of crushed walnut shells. Why not make a square pincushion and trim it with the chenille? I'm really pleased with the outcome but learned a lesson, next time I'll just stay in bed and toss and turn. Or better yet, maybe I'll think twice about that piece of chocolate. :)

Not much else going on, I took advantage of a birthday discount and stocked up on some lovely colors of Weeks Dye Works wool and a pattern from Fig Tree Quilts.



And in the garden.....



Cathy L - Organizing can be over-rated, especially those times I can't find things I know I have but can't remember where I 'organized' them to!

Angela - The bone folder - I use it to crease paper and poster board but it's also handy to poke out fabrics corners.

Helen - I wish I had room for another shoe organizer on top of the first. It's set up in a closet and the shelf above has a bracket that's in the way. :(

To clear some confusion I caused in my last post - the Joann's order was the picture with the scissors etc. The ribbons were from 2 different online shops.

Thanks for visiting!

Labels: , ,

 
posted by Deb at 5:00 PM | 14 comments
May 10, 2009

Hodgepodge.....

I know I've mentioned organizing my work space far too many times in my posts. With a steady stream of stash and finishing supplies coming through the door it's a necessity, especially when dealing with limited space. Sometimes thinking waaaay outside the box is a good thing. Sometimes not. I thought the shoe organizer shown below was the perfect answer for my out of control fabric stash. Slowly but surely I've worked on ironing, refolding and stacking. With it already 75% full and 50% of my fabric still to do, I've come to the sad conclusion that there's not the slimmest chance it will all fit. Back to the drawing board.

In this economy I find myself trying to be a smarter stash shopper. I don't know about everybody else but shipping charges are a huge consideration. I automatically pass by those shops that charge a flat rate based on the dollar amount spent. Instead of ordering 1 thing, I make lists and try to order as much as possible from 1 source. When possible, I try to stock up during sales. I lucked out with an order from Joanns, all I really needed/wanted was the pinking Olfa cutter and the bone folder. With a coupon for free shipping with a $25 purchase, I added the rest of the items, all on sale, for a grand total of $26.43.


Shots from the garden.....


Comments.....
As always, thanks for taking the time, I really appreciate it. :)

The chenille trim used in the Blackbird Designs comes from The Quilter's Station, lovely ladies to order from.

Games again.....
Up for grabs is Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst - unopened CD and a gift certificate for Azada.

Stitching.....
Sadly, none for now but have 1 for sure and 1 I'm still thinking about exchange coming up along with a looming PIF deadline which surely means I have to find some time somehow or another. Woohoo!

Thanks for visiting!



Oops, before I go, please note that I've changed my email address if you hit the contact me link - I'm still having problems with Yahoo mail.

Labels: , ,

 
posted by Deb at 3:49 PM | 7 comments
April 18, 2009

Long overdue thanks.....

is due to dear sweet Patti for RAKing me with a Drawn Thread kit from my wishlist. I've lusted wanted this kit for some time but never got around to ordering it. It was an unexpected and very much appreciated surprise.


RAK from Patti

I've been stash shopping again, a little fabric, a few lovely Gloriana silk ribbons and the chenille trim used on a few Blackbird Designs projects.



For those of you who might be interested - the Rhapsody In Red blog is open. There are a very limited number of finishing kits left, information can be found on the blog.

Thanks for visiting!

Labels: , ,

 
posted by Deb at 8:30 PM | 9 comments
April 12, 2009

Happy Easter.....

 
posted by Deb at 5:38 PM | 5 comments
March 10, 2009

HOE Biscornu exchange to Sally.....

Sally has received the biscornu exchange package I sent.




I don't think it's any secret that I love creating these little tuffets. For some reason though, I had a very hard time deciding on what to stitch this time. I started several different designs with several different color combinations before I made up my mind. This one is a variation of Indigo Rose's Pretty In Pink. It's hard to tell in the photo but it's stitched on R&R 30ct Elizabethan Green linen with Gloriana and NPI silk. Instead of stitching a back, I opted for a dupioni silk and edged it with Miyuki metallic blue beads. Despite my indecision, I really love how this one turned out.

Still catching up on email - Patti, Angela, I haven't forgotten you, promise!

'Til next time.....

Labels: , ,

 
posted by Deb at 4:31 PM | 18 comments
March 8, 2009

Everything but the kitchen sink.....

So obviously my "next day" post has taken 2 weeks, life's funny that way sometimes. I have a lot of catching up to do, I apologize in advance for the lengthy post. :)

Hoe Biscornu Exchange from Lynn B.

I received an adorable cupcake biscornu from Lynn. She also included a stitched fob, floss, ribbons and a beautiful handmade card, Lynn is clearly very talented!



I can't show pictures of the biscornu I stitched quite yet, I was late again.....sigh.

Email

Apparently Yahoo Mail is having issues - both incoming and outgoing - I've almost cleared my inbox in the past week (yes Ms. Carol, one went to you). If you've tried to reach me and got an error message or if you've been expecting an email from me and haven't received it - please email me at my swbell.net address. I still have a few emails sitting in my inbox that need a reply, hopefully I'll have those addressed by tomorrow.

Special Friends Award(s)

Carol, Patti and Debs nominated me for an award, I'm truly touched that you all thought of me.


This award means "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers. When you pass the award along please include these guidelines". I'm supposed to choose 8 friends to share the award with but I honestly find this too difficult to do. I nominate all those that put up with and claim me as a friend! :)

Comment Answers

First, thanks so much for the sweet comments on the SB fob.

Stitching Cat Deb - The organizational cubes came from Michaels in the scrapbooking section. You can configure them however works best for you, that's just one of the things I love about them. Be warned though - by the time I was through I'd put in almost 1,000 screws, tough on the hands!

Craft-i-leigh - I prefer linen in the 32-36-40 count range. It's always hard to change from something you're comfortable with. Waaaaaaaaaay back in the day when I graduated from Aida, I went to Lugana and/or Jobelan before I graduated to linen. As for brands, I prefer Zweigart Belfast when stitching samplers and for smalls I prefer a stiffer linen such as Wichelt, Brussels or Northern Cross.

Rhapsody In Red

The release of the casket has been delayed a bit, we are still trying to find just the right trim.

In the next week, there will be a Rhapsody In Red blog opening. At that time we'll also have a very limited number of finishing kits available.

That's it for now, if you've read this far, thanks for hanging in there! :)

'Til next time.....

Labels: ,

 
posted by Deb at 6:23 PM | 6 comments
February 21, 2009

Shepherd's Bush 2009 Scissor Fob.....

That's right, pick your jaws up, a stitching finish that isn't exchange related. :) I've carried this with me for the past couple of weeks stitching a minute here and there and finally finished it late last night. I'm sure some of the eagle eyes out there will notice it doesn't look exactly like the cover photo. I decided to stitch this one over 1 making it measure just around 1 1/4". With it so tiny, the pale blue was washed out so I substituted a darker shade.


Shepherd's Bush 2009 Scissor Fob front



Shepherd's Bush 2009 Scissor Fob back


I'll be back tomorrow with some news and awards. In the meantime, I'll be chained to my computer for the rest of the day until I have all emails finally answered.

Thanks for stopping by!

Labels:

 
posted by Deb at 12:18 PM | 18 comments
February 18, 2009

Catching up yet again.....

Stash


An award from sweet Patti


Patti also tagged me to name 5 addictions - the first four are ongoing long term addictions, the last is new and hopefully short lived. :)

1. Books
2. Organizing
3. Bonne Belle Lip Gloss
4. Udderly Smooth Udder Cream
5. Sweet & Salty Caramel Bugles


News

Quaker Motif Scissor Pocket - I think I've answered all the emails I've received requesting Barbara's email address. If by some chance I've missed you, please email again.

PJ - please add yahoo.com after artisticneedle to reach me.

I've been a little under the weather the past week and am still trying to catch up on email. For those waiting, it's coming soon, promise.

Lastly - a guilty pleasure - when I need a little down time I play the Mystery Case Files hidden object games from Big Fish Games. I have 2 gift certificates for the full version of Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate, if anybody is interested please drop me an email.

Until next time.....

Labels: , ,

 
posted by Deb at 1:00 AM | 1 comments