Lots of Embroidery Going On!

I have always loved embroidery.  I learned to embroider from my Granny when I was a little girl. I didn't stitch regularly until I was an adult.  Lately I have found my love again.   Crab Apple Hill Halloween Patterns captivated me from the very first time I saw them.   I splurged and bought several of them knowing that I was going to be staying home from work for a while with my daughter.   The patterns are involved...requiring you to use a light box and trace patterns before you stitch but they are well worth the work.

The current pattern I am working on is Spellbound

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                                            http://www.crabapplehillstudio.com/spellbound.html
The pattern is traced and then colored with crayon to tint fabric to give the embroidery more depth.  Then you use a hot iron to remove wax and set color.

I am really enjoying this one!
Does anyone else do embroidery or have a great link for patterns?

Claiming My Blog

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6284847/?claim=amdzs3uphzr">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Going to move to blogloving...click the link above.

So I have been out of commision for forever.  But have had a good excuse...really.

Her name is Abbey :)  Pregnancy and baby wiped me out for a while and honestly barely had time to sew much less blog.

But have completed a few projects....will be sharing them with you.

Summer is here...wish I was at the beach!

Okay so this is my first post in a while.   Been out and about for a bit.   Thanks so much to everyone who commented after my last whine...ahem...I mean blog post.   I really did get down in the dumps after my festival fiasco.  But I can honestly say that looking back I had a fun with my friend and met some great people. 

So here goes....Quilty/Crafty Goals For JUNE!!!

1. Complete IPOD case for a friend
2..  Savannah gradation quilt- more on that later...lets just say I love this fabric!
3.  CLEAN my sewing room.  I moved from a very large attic room to a very small bedroom with a HUGE closet.  Carpet is very dirty and organization needs to happen.
4.  Complete several baby quilt tops to hold in reserve for those special little  bundles of joy that pop up from time to time.  
5.  utilize more scraps into quilts...I hate to throw away scraps and right now I have a steamer trunk full that need to be used.  

My Guy!!!!Finally Done!!!

My guy is done...and the quilt and the guy!!!

This awesome quilt was a graduation present for my son...who graduated from high school May 27th.  

Here's the quilt...

 Front

Back

And Here's "My guy"

Man am I glad that is over!  We sure are proud of our kid!

Quilty/Crafty Goals For March

Here are my quilty and crafty goals for March. Yes March is over...so shoot me I am now posting my March acomplishments to see how well I did.  March was a bit of a great month (made several sales on my etsy site) and then a bust with the disasterous festival that I did a booth at a week ago.   I am proud of myself for putting my work out there.  I may not seem like I am shy and reclusive but just posting my art and quilty goodness is hard for me.  

I can honestly say that I feel pretty good about what I accomplished in February.  I always put the bar way too high for myself anyway. Between 40 hour work week, 2-3 hours a day commuting back and forth to work and 3 days a week at the gym it doesn't leave me enough time to do all the crafting I want to do. 

So here goes....Quilty/Crafty Goals For March

1.  2 Iphone cases off the list since the craft show is over but will revisit sometime soon
2.  2 e reader cases *see #1
3.  Complete 10 coffee cozies  done :)
4.  Complete Nook Case for a Friend  done :)
5.  Complete 4th row of the "My Guy" quilt for my son. About 3/4th of the 4th row done...  almost there!
6.  10 pairs of Alabama and Auburn lego earrings done :)
7.  10 pairs of other lego earrings done :)
8.  banner for our booth at the Prattville Arts Festival done :)
9.  2 funky paintings not done...in progress
10. Complete 2 coin purses not done...in progress
11.  Try my hand at fabric post cards not done...in progress

12.  start putting together Savannah's quilt not done...in progress

So that is what I did and did not accomplish this month...glad it is over and that winter is winding down...spring has finally sprung!

Sara's Scrap Swap

I am so pleased with my swaps from the Sew Sara Sew Blog.

Her blog can be found here... http://sewsara.blogspot.com/ .



Ignore Cat Butt on Right :)

 I was lucky enough to be partnered with Laura from http://lauralovesquilting.blogspot.com/ and Monkia from http://mysweetprairie.blogspot.com/  .  I got home from work last week and surprise surprise...not one but TWO envelopes.  Both my swaps arrived on the same day.   Oh wow! I was totally overwhelmed at the glorious fabric these two fabulous swappers sent me!  My Mom in Law and I sat for an hour at the kitchen table pouring over them and then going back to our favorites.  I can't wait until I can put these beauties into a quilt.   Thanks so much ladies...I think my packages to you were woefully pitiful compared to yours!

Thanks again Ladies!!!

March is National Craft Month

Sandyquiltz asked in big tent quite a while ago what we would be doing to celebrate the crafty month.  Well my celebration this month included doing a festival where I was hoping to make a huge debut to the world.   Well guess what...

The festival was a total bust!!!

A volunteer showed up to tell me my cup cozies were unwelcome because "they were an art show and the cozies weren't art".   I had to pick my jaw up off the floor and barely contained my disdain since the guy in the booth next to me was selling Native American wares that were obviously store bought. I had no idea that my crafty art was not welcome I didn't see it anywhere on the application but who knows.  So my Lego earrings are "art" but a hand made from pattern to product cozy was not!!! I was allowed to keep them in a discreet place because she hadn't had the nerve to call me and let me know they didn't want them there.  I am so very glad I hadn't made any more of them...or the other quilty things like the change purses I was going to finish.    

I am sooooo not thick skinned enough to be doing all this apparently.  Would love to say that I didn't let it get to me but it so killed all the excitement I had for the day.

The show didn't prove to be good for my friend and I...we will not be back.   The economy is hard right now too...no one really seemed to be selling much. I had not a hope in the world of selling a thing but this was the first time I have ever shared my paintings with the world in this way and I had really hoped to get a lot of feedback on my art since I use a lot of odd things in my paintings.  That is my favorite part of the festivals is to talk with the artists to see what inspires them and how they go about making their pieces.   But I can count on one hand the number of people who asked about techniques or what things were used to create our pieces. 

But our booth looked okay :) for a newbie...

My friend Dottie made me an "earring tree" to put my Lego earrings on...






Left Table..

Right Table


And you HAVE to see this shirt...my friend Dottie took inspiration from one of my Kaffe Fasset quilting books...The Jeweled Squares Quilt from Kafe Fassett Patchwork



It is fabulous from top to bottom...hand painted and it took her over 5 years to finish!

I wish someone had bought it I am way too plus to wear this size large!

BRIGHT SPOT FOR THE DAY!!!

The lady in the booth to our right was selling the most wonderful wind chimes made of vintage housewares...leaning heavily towards old kitchen goods...they are one of the most creative things i have ever seen.  And with a massively windy day Saturday it was lovely to hear them chime all day long...Her name is Linda Holt and I can't find a website for her...I wish I could because not only were her wares wonderful but she was a super nice lady!!!

A really bad storm ended our day early and put us out of our misery....

But it was good weather for the ducks!!!

This one totally sucked the life outta me....

Hopefully I can gather my courage to do this again someday. 

NOTE...SOMEDAY!!!!

When my skin has thickened up properly!