Feeling Crafty

I love cross-stitch at any time of year; somehow Autumn brings even more enjoyment to this hobby.  An ideal scenario is watching football and stitching!  So, it's time for an update on a few projects!

My January 14 post was the last time I shared progress on the Christmas stocking for #1 Son - see the picture below.

 On March 29, it looked like this:

Now, with 287 hours of love invested, I am putting the finishing touches in place.  Outlining, details such as trees and grass.  The most challenging element is stitching with the gold metallic thread for the sled and the edges of the ribbon - it's very fiddly!

My February 11 post featured a completed hexagon stitch-a-long.  Today, I am happy to show you the framed piece, which now hangs in our guest bathroom!  The experts at Michael's were invaluable in selecting the mat and the frame.

In the same post, I also described the process of selecting a pattern creator in order to develop a design of a wedding photo for #1 Daughter and our son-in-law.  After some deliberation, I went with Gail at Busy B Crafts (creator of Stitch a Photo).  She had offered so much free advice, and was also recommended by the owners of Shepherds' Bush, cross-stitch experts that I trust!  This is the photo the couple chose.

#1 Daughter selected a Natural Rustico fabric - probably only a quarter of an inch will show around the final piece, which will be 11 x 14.  I am very excited to start stitching once the stocking is complete! 

 

 

 

I recently hosted a Munch and Make, and one of the attendees had a new quilt to share.  She is a member of the Flathead Quilters' Guild, and its annual quilt show had just wrapped up.  Below is a selection of the quilts that I saw at the 2024 Flathead Quilters' Guild Quilt Show.

Maker and Quilter: Lea White

Maker and Quilter: Marci Robman

Maker: Mary Iverson  Quilter: Susan Gilman

Well, it's time to get back to my stitching!  

Linking up with a few blogging buddies this week!

Linking up with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color for I Like Thursday.

Prompt for this week is: Do you like hayrides?  Tell us about one you experienced.  I believe the last hayride would have been with the kids when they were young enough to actively participate in pumpkin hunting in an open field.  I love those fall traditions when it can be enjoyed with extended family, even if they are all adults!

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching

 

Linking to Mosaic Monday

2023 Stitching, and a lot of it!

As my faithful readers know, stitching takes me to my happy place!  So, this means 2023 must have been overwhelmingly cheerful - seven completed projects, and two more well underway!  Let's go to my virtual sewing room!

In my January 11, 2023 post, I showed pictures of my first blackwork piece in progress, a cross-stitch destined for my oldest sister.  Initially I had planned to give her only the finished cross-stitch, but once I decided that I would hand-carry it to her in October (on the same trip as our daughter's wedding), I was inspired to bring her a fully completed pillow.

This project tested my ingenuity.  First, I wanted to "hide" the back of the cross-stitch.  I devised a plan to sew the cross stitch onto a solid piece of fabric, which would then be sewn to a second piece of fabric to form the pillow case.  Second, it seemed ugly to leave the raw edge of the cross-stitch fabric in full view, so I took a page from some of my past Christmas ornaments and added ribbon around the edges.  Third, I discovered "invisible" zippers while researching how to sew zippers, and I decided to give it a try.   This also meant learning how to change the foot on my Mom's sewing machine to an invisible zipper foot - for many of you long-time sewers out there, this process may seem old hat to you, but I had to call in my local engineer (Spousal Unit) to help me with that one!

The next large project of 2023 was a Christmas stocking for our son-in-law-to-be.  In fact, it was finished the night before we would fly to Cincinnati for the wedding!

This time last year, I had completed a stocking for our daughter (see my December 21, 2022 post).  My heart danced to see both stockings hung on the mantelpiece at their new house for this Christmas!

 

 

 

 

Of course, in the midst of all this I also crafted the wedding handkerchief for our daughter (previously shown in my Wedding Bells post on October 30, 2023).

On one of our recent visits to the UK, I came across designs for cross-stitch bookmarks, and they were perfect choices as Christmas gifts for our son and daughter.

Several years ago, I instituted the tradition of selecting a Christmas ornament design for each of the kids (including our son-in-law).  This year, to commemorate the new house for our daughter and son-in-law, I created a single ornament for the couple.  And the Monopoly ornament is for #1 Son, reflecting our shared love of board games.

And now to works in progress!  As soon as I wrapped up the Christmas stocking for our son-in-law, I embarked on the new stocking for #1 Son.  (I have "child" stockings for our daughter and son, which we have used for years.  Two years ago, I offered to "replace" them with adult stockings, and this is the design chosen by our son.)

Now that Christmas is past, and it is obvious the stocking will not be completed until NEXT Christmas, I am going to take a little break from it, allowing me to return to my 2023 Stitch-A-Long.  I wrote about this project in my January 11, 2023 post.  "During my time in the blogosphere, I have seen many mentions of stitch-a-longs, and viewed creativity in action when my fellow bloggers post pictures.  This year, I finally decided to jump in.   Somebody out there introduced me to Loretta Oliver, and I subscribed to her email for access to free cross-stitch patterns.  On December 29, when the Great Big List of Stitchalongs to Join in 2023 popped into my email inbox, I decided to take a look.  Imagine my delight when I found The Steady Thread Botanical Blackwork Stitchalong.  Flowers AND blackwork, a perfect combination for me!!!  And it's free!"

March 21 marked the last time I took a picture of this project (12 hexagons completed), but at the moment I suspended stitching, I had 36 full hexagons in the design, so that must have been the beginning of September! (Steady Thread released one hexagon per week, so I calculated 36 weeks.)

I have 13 hexagons to go, plus the leaves that frame the pattern.  I chose my own color palette for this project, and so I will also have to think through my approach to the leaves and stems!  As most of you know, I am a "follow the recipe" person, so this is stretching me (just a little!!!!)  *NOTE: when I went to the Steady Thread website to retrieve the 13 remaining hexagons and the leafy frame, I learned that the Stitch-A-Long is closed and there is a charge for any designs I need.  It's not a lot of money, and I certainly don't begrudge the artist who created this lovely design - just a memo to me for the future!

 

I asked for the above book for Christmas, and I leave you with this Navajo song (from Night Chant, for the ninth song).  Praying that 2024 brings you the desires you hold close in your heart.  Happy New Year!

May their roads home be on the trail of peace.

Happily may they all return.

In beauty I walk.

With beauty before me, I walk.

With beauty behind me, I walk.

With beauty above and about me, I walk.

It is finished in beauty.

It is finished in beauty.

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Joining LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color for I Like Thursday - prompt this week is: Does your family have a favorite appetizer? Bean dip.  Sausage, Pepper Jack and salsa - need I write more? Can you share the recipe?  See photo below.  Would you rather have buffalo chicken dip or artichoke dip?  Artichoke dip - sometimes the buffalo is too spicy for me.  What do you try first when you go to a party with snacks?  I prefer savory snacks, and I like to try different things, so I would gravitate to anything new that is also savory.

Linking to Thankful Thursday

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching

 

Linking to Needle and Thread Thursday

 

Linking to Mosaic Monday

Munch and Make Returns

As faithful readers know, stitching makes me happy.  Stitching WITH FRIENDS takes me to a state of bliss.  Throw some mouth-watering delectables into the mix?  Practically euphoria!  Munch and make, a craft gathering with neighbor ladies, has returned after a three-year hiatus.  (OK, I knew it had been a long time, but really three years?  Yes, pandemic first and then life, busy life.  Anyway ...)

One friend plied her needle on the table runner you see at left.  And do you know, she gave it to me at the end of the afternoon?  I was SOOOOO touched.

 

How about this quilt?  My neighbor is a prolific quilter and prefers to have one quilt at a time in production.  On the day of our gathering, she was finishing the binding.  You probably cannot see it, but the corners of the quilt have nests with little eggs in them.  Love the plump birds on this incredible work of art.

 

 

 

 

Everyone brought goodies - sugar-free chocolate, oat cookies, lemon blueberry ricotta cake, fresh fruit.  The panda nestled among the munchies was hand-made by another neighbor during our gathering.

 

My project is the cross-stitch for my sister that I first shared in this January post.  It's coming along nicely; I am head over heels in love with the blackwork patterns that make up the flower at the center of the design by Lesley Teare.

 

I hope to have another Munch and Make in mid-March - watch this space!

If you would like to see the previous Munch posts, go to March 17, 2019, April 11, 2019, October 6, 2019 and January 29, 2020.

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I am joining Lee Anna at I Like Thursday this week.  The prompt is "What thoughtful things does your special person do for you, or you do for them?"  Spousal Unit brings me coffee in bed most mornings, a routine that began when I retired.  He has always been the cook in our family - even though it is one of his "responsibilities" in the house, I still consider the effort he puts into cooking overall, and finding new recipes (almost always a hit), to be one of the things about him that I truly appreciate.  Occasionally, I try to surprise him.  A note left in an unexpected place, or candy just for fun.  After Valentine's Day, I perused the on-sale Valentine's candy and was delighted to find this.  It would be a long story to explain the boxer shorts with the hearts, but it has a funny meaning for us!

 

 

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Linking to Mosaic Monday

Stitchin'

I am having fun.  I am stitching.  Two projects underway, and several in the planning stages.  My fellow stitchers, can you ever have too many ideas or creations that you want to make?

Before I show you the current work, I can finally share the ornaments that I made for the kids as Christmas presents.  I love the process of looking for subjects that are suitable for the recipient, and yet not too big for a tree ornament.  Pinterest is fabulous resource, and the convenience of downloading designs for a minimal price is a far cry from the days of thumbing through racks of cross-stitch books at Michael's!

The fiance made his first trip to the UK in 2022, and since the itinerary included London, this ornament was an easy choice.

 

 

 #1 Son is a little more challenging - cats are an obvious choice, but I am reluctant to give him only cat ornaments.  So I took a little bit of an indirect tack this year, and this is all the more appropriate since together we have watched a documentary about how some people still claim the earth is flat!

In this post in December 2021, I wrote about discovering Spanish blackwork.  In December 2022, I finally began my first blackwork piece.  Last year, my oldest sister purchased an RV, and mentioned that she planned to call it "Bloomer".  I scoured Pinterest for cross-stitch designs with that word, or with a pertinent theme.  I was delighted to locate a pattern with many of her favorite colors, and blackwork!  Bingo!  

I will have to add "Bloomer" to the bottom of the design, but that is easy to do.  Over Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to ask her about the font style she would like.  So, I was all set.  Below are some pictures with current progress.  (I think she will use this a pillow cover.)

 

During my time in the blogosphere, I have seen many mentions of stitch-a-longs, and viewed creativity in action when my fellow bloggers post pictures.  This year, I finally decided to jump in.   Somebody out there (identify yourself!) introduced me to Loretta Oliver, and I subscribed to her email for access to free cross-stitch patterns.  On December 29, when the Great Big List of Stitchalongs to Join in 2023 popped into my email inbox, I decided to take a look.  Imagine my delight when I found The Steady Thread Botanical Blackwork Stitchalong.  Flowers AND blackwork, a perfect combination for me!!!  And it's free!

The Steady Thread is very thorough, and at first the detail of the instructions seemed overwhelming, but I took it one step at a time.  I chose the circular hexagon pattern, and decided on ivory 14-ct. fabric.  (In hindsight, I think I would have preferred 16- or 18-ct.)  I intend to put the finished project in our guest bathroom, so I had an idea of a preferred color palette.  (Traditional blackwork typically utilizes only black thread, but given the location for this piece and the botanical aspect of it, I wanted to experiment with color.  It may not seem like a big deal to you creative folks out there, but this is a STRETCH for someone who likes pre-made designs and can't cook without a recipe!!!)

The design has 49 hexagons in total, and each Friday the pattern for the next hexagon is released.  The Steady Thread provides a key for the placement of each week's hexagon, and "hexagon paper" that you can print in order to plan your color palette, if needed.  In the picture below you can see most of my "color design", and the two hexagons that I have already completed.

 And a closer look.

I still have a few questions, such as how participants share progress (I think it's on a FaceBook page) and when we are supposed to complete the leafy frame.  Watch this space!

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I am joining I Like Thursday at Not Afraid of Color.  You can always find something inspiring among this group.  Check it out.

This week the prompt is "Do you use a calendar?  Is it digital and do you like it?  Is it a wall calendar and who's do you have this year?  Is it a diary type that sits on your desk next to the computer?  Share yours, and if you like it, how did you choose that one?  Do you have another system to remember things?" 

I use a classic Franklin Planner (see above) and it has a flower motif.   Throughout my career, this style served me well and I continued in retirement. I use the month pages to keep track of significant appointments and events.  In between the month pages, there are two pages per week, so there is room to write down daily tasks, but not many.  So, I do find I need a separate sheet of paper to capture my very aspirational list of everything I would like to get done in a day!!!

So, as you can tell, I am a very visual person - I tried a digital calendar and just couldn't SEE enough to make me comfortable.  The closest I get is the "notes" function in my phone - I use it to record ideas when I am away from my Planner and to-do list.

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Also linking to Mosaic Monday.  If you like creative photo collages, this is the linky party for you!