September Smalls SAL -- Pic heavy

YEAH!!!  It's time for our Smalls post for September!  Heather of Stitching Lotus is our host for this SAL, and I found this past month I was very motivated in getting a lot done!!!  You can click on the link above, at the top or on my side bar to see what this SAL is all about.  I love it because it gets me motivated to get at least one small thing stitched to share!!

This month I got motivated one weekend and got several JN whimzi's stitched up!!!  WOOHOO!!!  I love it because I think my new small yet bigger tree that I bought last year to hold all my JN whimzi's will be really full this year. 

The first JN whimzi is Summer Spell.

If you have never stitched one of these whimzi's and then framed them, you will wonder why you didn't stitch more!  The framing on these little designs is SO QUICK and Just Nan gives great finishing directions.  The sad part is that the whimzi frames are no longer being made but I have been able to find a few on Ebay, and some at a few cross stitch stores that have a few left here and there.  You just have to be diligent in trying to find them. 

Next I stitched JN Pansies Please.  Pansies are my favorite small flower and why I haven't stitched this one before now amazes me.  I LOVE IT!!! 

So that same weekend that I stitched these 2 whimzi's up motivated me to get another one finished in time for Halloween this year.  I was able to get JN Pretty Wicked along with the mat to hold it.  I have it laying flat her on the mat that came with the chart and frame but I do have it displayed in my living room on an easel.  I don't decorate a lot for Halloween but I do like the "cutesy and fun" Halloween decorations.

Also this month, I pulled out a UFO of SB Scaredy Sheep fob.  I like to rotate my scissor fobs for the seasons so this one was great to finish and add to a pair of scissors that Kimberly gave me for my birthday this year!  Once again, quick finish with the rickrack and beads around the fob!

Front:

Back:

I also finished the LK Mystery fob and did the finishing on it as well.  I did find some light pink baby rickrack at JoAnn fabrics but it was where all the other trims were such as the Double Fold Bias Tape.  Just a suggestion to others to be able to find it.

Front:

Back:

While I was practically living in my sewing room these past few weeks sewing or finishing one thing or another, I found some SB projects that just needed to be framed up in those wonderful little round boxes.  So.......here I framed up 3 new SB projects into their boxes!  Now WHY did I not do that when I FINISHED stitching the projects????  I'm sure it was because I needed to finish something else.  These projects are like the JN Whimzi's......quick to stitch and frame inside the boxes!!!

SB Come Home

SB Live Life

SB Take Joy

While I was cleaning in my sewing room from all the work I had been doing and reorganizing some things, I came across another finished project that just needed the "finishing work" to be completed.  Can you tell a trend of how my past few weeks have been?  Doing the "finishing work" on so many little projects! 

This is a project from a Danybrod design called PINS from the Me to You chart.  You can find the link to purchase the design at HERE.  I just picked a Hand Dyed Fiber silk in premium and some jobelan linen from my stash to stitch this wonderful little design.   I love just picking an overdyed thread and just stitching an entire pincushion in it.

I found the perfect backing fabric to finish this pincushion.

The last thing I want to share this month is another project that has been stitched up for a while.  Like the SB round box projects, I found this SB Halloween Grins windowpane pillow project all completed and waiting to be finished.  I have ANOTHER Halloween project to decorate my house this year!!! 

So yes.....as you can see why I have spent the last few weeks in my sewing room sewing this or that or cleaning and organizing!!! 

Thank you for taking the time to read all about my Smalls this month!!  I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have enjoyed stitching them or finishing them!!!

Happy Stitching!

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Contest again!!!

Wow!  Nancy has been soooo generous in her giveaways!!!  Not that I'm complaining as I'm always entering her wonderful contest!!!  This time it is "Favorite Things Giveaway"!   You can find her link on my sidebar blog links or HERE. 

So be sure to go check it out and sign up to follow her blog.  She has some wonderful designs, overdyed floss, linen and trims!!!  What stitcher can't use ANY of those lovely items!!!

Happy Stitching!

MBT Amazing Grace Update.....

Hello everyone!  I thought I'd give a quick update on how my stitching day on Friday went.  It went GREAT!  I was sooo needing a break from my new "work out routine" of walking everyday and from the household chores.  But to not complain too much about having to exercise as I know it's good for my health, I did do A LOT of sewing last week during the day as well.

I have taken a before photo of starting back on this huge project on Friday.  I am using Hand Dyed Fibers 1443 in premium on 36ct Flax Edinborough.  I knew it was going to be MUCH LARGER than the MBT I stitched for my husband a while ago which wasThe Lord's Prayer on 32ct using Au Ver a Soie silk.  That is why I opted to stitch it on 36ct.  I don't think my sanity would have allowed me to stitch it on 40ct not to mention my HDF premium silk wouldn't fit through the holes on 40ct.

Here is where I had left off before and started back at on Friday.

I did not take a picture on Saturday as we had a full day of errands and laundry to get done.  Plus my MS was making me feel very fatigued, and I didn't stitch at all until late Saturday evening.

Here is where I'm at now.  I think I made GREAT PROGRESS since I picked it back up on Friday.

This looks more complicated of stitching or very busy as you might say with what I've stitched thus far.  Really it's not.  It's a matter of getting into that stitching rhythm and knowing that there is a "pattern" of stitches that if you can remember the pattern, it goes by quickly when stitching.  That way you don't have to look at the chart as often. 

I had a couple of questions about the chart before starting it earlier this year.  I emailed Debbie about them, and she gave me some very sound advice.  She said to stitch the entire outside border first and then do each section of the lines within the border around instead of trying to do the whole section of the border around.  She was definitely right as that one straight line around was what I would call "no brainer stitching".  However, I did have to count quite often to make sure I got that main outside like correct as it would throw the whole inside border totally off.  I would make little thread hash marks every 25 blocks and that way it made it easy to keep count of how much I had stitched.  Then I pulled all of them out except the very tip top middle one.  When starting this project, I did start at the top middle and worked my way out to each side. 

I am working in hand which is why the 2nd picture shows wrinkles.  I didn't feel like ironing it again before taking that picture today.  Sorry. 

After going to church this morning, I've spent the day finishing stitching BBD Midnight Ride pincushion, and then I started an ornament for my mom!  YIPPEE!!!  I got to start a new project!!!  This one is a Prairie Schooler design, and I hope to be able to show you on my Smalls posting this month. 

That is all I have to share for today.  Now it's time for me to get back to stitching on my Mom's ornament.

Happy Stitching everyone!

My stitching day!!!

Yeah!  It's FINALLY FRIDAY!!!  Ok now that you have that song stuck in your head, you can blame me!  I'll take it!!! LOL  I've been busy all this week all in a good way.  I started the week off with sewing on Monday.  Then DH decided he wanted to go for a run after he got home on Monday so I decided now was the perfect time to get me back into the habit of doing some sort of exercise besides housework, laundry and running errands.  And if you don't think housework is a form of exercise, I beg to differ with you as I do with my husband ALL THE TIME on that subject.  No it's not my favorite thing to do, but I don't want to live in a pig stye either.  I went to the park close to our house to do a walk because it has a nice walking route around the play ground.  I've been able to keep up on that all this week and yes....I've been feeling better.  I'm going to keep up on it until we start getting snow here later this year and into the new year.  Then I will just try to do Wii Fit! 

As I said, I did some sewing which no.....I can't show you yet but I will soon.  So all this week, I've been sewing on this or that in hopes to showing you some new goodies that have been needing to be finished. 

Here are some pictures of things I've gotten in the mail to add to my stitching stash!  This is some new goodies from a birthday gift certificate that my best friend Karen gave me!!!  The silks and fabric in the top right hand corner is for Shakespeare's Peddler Jane Philpott Sampler.  My new LK Mystery part 2 was included, and then I just HAD to get the 2 new Just Nan Halloween charts!!!  The needles were a gift from my friend Drema at Needlecraft Corner.

When I saw this little tray on SB website and it had a small sheep in the handle, I just HAD to call and order it with the kit to add to my stash!!!   I JUST LOVE THOSE SHEEP in the handles!!!

I also received the last of my SB Fold kit from Attic Needlework!!!!  I just LOVE how the Attic packages things!!!  THANK YOU JEAN and Attic ladies for taking such great care in packaging our goodies when we order them!  They make me feel like it's Christmas every time I get a package from them! 

Here is a belated picture of all my birthday presents back from Aug.  Yes.....I know....I'm very VERY late in sharing this.  I had just grouped them all together in one picture though. 

This one is just from my immediate family.  I asked my kids to "make" me something.  You can see the Totoro picture my daughter drew me and the origami flower that my son made me.  The gift cards were from DH and the Squirtal was also from my son! 

DS origami flower up close picture.

Ok.  Now is the time for me to GET OFF THIS COMPUTER!  I've already checked my email this morning, and have posted what I wanted to for today so now I can sit and stitch like I had planned.  I will be stitching on MBT Amazing Grace!  I LOVE stitching on this.  Ok ok......if you know me.....I just LOVE TO CROSS STITCH!!!  haha

I will try to give you an updated photo maybe tomorrow!!!  Until then.....HAPPY STITCHING!

TUSAL report.....

Today we post our TUSAL report.  Sharon of Daffycat is our host of this each month.  You can click on the picture above and it will take you to her blog of where to sign up for this.

My little ORT holder that I use on my lap board while stitching was getting really filled up.  I always transfer my ORTs to my ORT tin for better picture taking.  You can see how full the tin is this month.

I haven't posted my ORT jar in a while so I took a picture of that as well.

I must have been really stitching a lot this month to have the smaller tin and my ORT holder totally full!  I have some finishing work to do this week which is left over from last week.  Hopefully I'll have lots to share on my Smalls post later on this month.

Now.....to get to stitching on some ornaments.  I am WAY BEHIND this year.  Shame on me!!!  I won't have that happen next year!

Happy Stitching everyone!

SB Fold needlecase finishing instructions....... picture heavy!

Well, talk about doing the HAPPY DANCE yesterday after getting a few projects finished (see yesterdays blog post about the ornaments) and then getting this SB Fold Needlecase finished, I was really tired last night.

When I first got the SB Fold needlecase, I knew right then that I didn't want it to fold.  I wanted it to lay flat to be able to see the full picture!  A friend was curious how I was going to make it flat, so I told her I would take pictures of each step to help her get through if she wanted to finish hers like mine.

So.....here goes.  First I mark and measure out 1/2" on the BACKSIDE of my stitching.  This will be my sewing line.  You will not see this on the right side of the fabric so don't be alarmed.  I didn't have any excess fabric to cut away from the "sewing line" but if you did, you would measure out another 1/2" from your sewing line and cut that excess fabric away.

Lay on TOP of your finishing fabric, right sides together.

Now pin down and cut a piece to match the same size as the stitched piece.

Sew on the line you have marked for the top.

You can see that I use that slit in the sewing machine presser foot to follow my marked line.

Take your sewn piece and fold the seam AWAY from the stitched piece TOWARD the backside of what will be the needlecase.  I iron it down to help make it stay flat.

Here is a suggestion.  Use a light weight interfacing on the wrong side of your stitched piece and the backside of the lining.  Then also use a piece of lightweight interfacing on the lining that you cut out as well.  I realized this AFTER I had sewn the needlebook.  I should have remembered to do that after sewing all these years.  It will help give the finished needlebook a little more stability.

Lay your flattened needlecase, RIGHT SIDES together on top of the fabric.  Pin down and cut out the lining of the needlecase.

Before I sewed the lining to the front of the needlecase, I wanted to make a scissor pocket for some small scissors.  So I used the small scissors that Janet gave me as part of my birthday present this year because I didn't think I had small purple scissors and would need to order some.  I also used the wool that came in the kit for a needleholder.  I did cut the wool in 1/2, and pinned down on the left side of the inside lining.  You need to sew on this wool and scissor pocket before sewing the lining to the front of the needlebook.

I did not have a pattern for a scissor pocket so I just measured how wide my little scissors were and cut a square out around it.  That way I would know to fold in the edges for finishing.  You will have to fold down the top right and left tips as they want to go above the top line of the pocket once folded.  You can fingerpress them down and then use the pins to hold in place when sewing the pocket onto the lining.

Pin and sew the lining to the front of the needlebook.  Turn inside out and make sure your corners are nice and straight.  Janet told me about this wonderful little wooden gadget.  Quilters use it and can be found in the notions section or quilting section at JoAnn Fabrics.  WORD OF CAUTION:  DON'T POKE TOO HARD or you will poke a hole in your project!!!!

After turning your needlecase inside out, you can whipstitch the opening closed.  I was going to use the small button that came in the kit to use as a closure, but since I made my case to be wider and lay flat, I thought 2 small snaps in each lower corner would help keep it closed better.

After I got this needlebook all sewn up, I happened to remember that I DID HAVE SMALL PURPLE SCISSORS!!!!  I had originally bought them to attach to my SB Fold scissor fob but found bigger ones to attach to the fob.  Now these small scissors have a perfect home inside the needlecase. I also attached a small ribbon just above the scissor pocket to keep my scissor from falling out.  I did use fray check on the end and then I sewed a snap to both end of the ribbon.  I did sew the ribbon on first before putting the bottom snap on.  I also attach a needle threader to all my scissors with just DMC thread.  It is tucked inside the pocket as well.

NOW......the final product!!!!!  TA DA!!!!  Outside and folded.

Inside laying flat.

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this, and I hope I haven't bored you with all my pictures. It was easier to just post the entire process than sending this many pictures to the people who wanted to know how I finished my needlecase.

HAPPY STITCHING!

3 Finishes for today......

Happy Tuesday everyone!  I was motivated in getting some finishinig done today which I might add I did accomplish my goals I had set out to do.  I also did the finishing for my SB Fold needlecase but I will be posting about that tomorrow (on Wednesday) because I took step by step pictures of my finishing process just in case someone else wanted to do theirs this way. 

I had this 2011 Snow in Love already sewn up but just needed to get the wired fuzzy cording sewn around the ornament.  I just LOVE this fuzzy wire cording as it just looks like snow!!!

This 2011 Baked Goods ornament was sewn up but I had not stuffed it.  So I stuffed it and already had some leftover cording for it as I had stitched and finished this ornament for my mom's Christmas ornament back in 2011.  This one is for me though. 

I love it when I find just the perfect backing for my ornaments!  It just seems to make the ornament so complete when you have a coordinating backing fabric!!!

My last finishing piece for today was framing up my JN Holly Bows into the frame that I managed to purchase recently off of Ebay!!!  I just LOVE how Just Nan finishes these smalls in those wonderful frames!!!

I think I can honestly say that today was a WOOHOO kind of day for finishing projects!!!  Now.....to go put my pajamas on and settle in for some stitching until bedtime tonight!!!  So check back here again tomorrow to see my SB Fold Needlecase and step by step finishing process!

HAPPY STITCHING!