Crossstiching

I get so caught up on doing things by machine that sometimes I forget how relaxing and fun plain old counted cross stitch is. Sharon introduced me to this craft when I was in Germany from 1983-1986. I would write her and tell her how bored I was and I didn't have any friends and she sent me a cross stitch pattern to help alleviate my boredom. (Do you remember that Sharon?) I was hooked. Anyway I did the following cross stitch for Tiffany and James. You really can't see in these photos but the swirls behind the letters have alot of beadwork in it. I had to add the fabric border because I didn't buy a big enough peace of cross stitch to frame. Here is another picture so maybe you can see the beads.

I am working on my digitizing program

OK, so I take care of this really cute little boy...who remarkably resembles this Fisher Price "little people" charactor, named "Eddie". Sew, I am making him a book bag for school with this embroidery design on it...it is my first attempt at digitizing on my own. I bought the digitizing program for myself for Christmas...since the last two Christmases, my request was ignored.

I cannot take much credit...I copied a color page off the Fisher Price web site, and colored it in, and outlined it. It is pretty rough around the edges...but after looking at it, I thought it looked like a picture that a child colored...so, I guess it will be fitting for the intended project.

Seriously, look at the little chubby round cheeks, and bleach blond hair...Isn't this going to be a great personalized book bag? I don't even need to put his name on it.

New Embroidery Software

With three grandchildren on the way, I decided to invest in some juvenile embroidery designs...this is a Dakota Collections CD, called Bedtime Critters. They are six inch blocks...I am going to put blocks made of quarter square triangles in between them...green and white. I am going to make one to take to our first craft show also...and see how it goes.

I also finished Elizabeths diaper bag....it turned out very nice! Here is a picture of my pregnany daughters! Elizabeth is showing off her bag. Alot of the fabric is duplicated...I bought alot of it.

My First long arm quilt

This is the first quilt I pieced totally on the long arm. It is also my first original design, although I sort of copied from the American Flag. I call it "Country Flag" I am going to use it as a symbol that my shop is open. When my shop opens, I will not have certain hours of being open, as that would negate the whole idea of being retired! Sew, I'm going to hang this quilt out on the fence whenever I'm in the shop to let people know they can stop in. My customers will know that if the flag is flying I'm in, if it isn't I'm not.

I'm thinking of appliqueing the word "OPEN" on it, but I haven't decided yet.

My First Post!!!

I finally have done a project to post on the craft blog!!!!!! I recently bought a personal silk screening machine and have experimented with it a little over the past week. Here are my first two projects. I have alot to figure out yet (it didn't come with alot of instruction) so these are pretty basic.



I plan on doing shirts for MoosE 150 whenever they ride again.
(hopefully I will be better at this by then)

Here we are at Candi's

Here is the picture you requested, Kim

As Requested...Pajama Party Pictures

This past weekend, I hosted a pajama sewing party at my house during Randy's travel to Detroit. We stayed in our pajamas all weekend, because changing into clothes would have taken way too much valuable time that we could have been sewing.

These are individual projects we were working on. I am working on three separate quilts of the month club blocks. The butterfly is my first applique project, and I really like the way it turned out. I am also working on a flirty thirty pieced block quilt and a 3 dimensional quilt. My pajamas are my birthday present from Kim...they are CHOCOLATE MOOSE jammies, I had to put a long sleeve shirt under the short sleeve top, because my sewing room is cold.

Sharon is working on an underground railroad quilt block of the month project that she is teaching, so she has to finish them in order to teach her students the quirks of each technique.

My friend Jill, whom I met through the Navy 4 Moms web site, and who happened to know Sharon through her husband, (Jeff) now her exhusband, who worked for the FAA.....is working on several quilts, but brought this one with her for technical assistance in arranging the blocks.

I regret that I did not take a picture of Trish, who mostly cooked a marvelous home made pasta luncheon for us Saturday, and some really yummy desserts rather than sewing. She is an amazing cook. Mostly I regret not taking her picture, because she had on her PJs too, and her shirt said OH MY GOD, MY MOM WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING! on it.

I also don't have a picture of Jodi, who came over for the day Saturday, and helped us with the charity quilts....she didn't wear her PJs though.

We had a great time. After sewing, we stayed up and watched Hallmark movies, and ate PIZZA!