What Have I Been Up To?

Well, what have I been up to lately?  Usually January is knitting month, but not this year.  I pondered a new project, but then declined.  I've been back at my counted cross stitch.  Apparently cross stitching is having a big moment.  Maybe the virus?  At any rate, it's a big deal crafting wise, and there are all kinds of related things tied to it.  Flosstubes?  What in the world?  Turns out it's videos on YouTube featuring ladies who stitch, either professionally or just for fun, or both.  I've finally watched one or two.  Interesting, but I don't think I'm signing up for the full stitch deal.  

What's that you ask?  Well, pricey fabrics to stitch on.  Hand dyed flosses, some in silk.  Fancy ways to store your flosses for the project you are working on.  Oh, and project bags to store your in-progress works.  I kinda feel old school with my old tin box filled with envelopes marked on the front (some in my daughter's middle school handwriting) with the color number.  And I haven't spent $10 for a magnetic needleminder as running my needle through a corner of the (not pricey) fabrics works just fine.  As a matter of fact, I think I'm taking perverse pleasure in my old school ways.  

On the other hand, I have found some lovely ways to finish my work and that pleases me.  There are some very clever and talented people out there and I'm so happy they are sharing their talents.  I have been stitching the Prairie Schooler yearly Santas for years. I framed four of them years and years ago and now have eight, almost nine that are stitched but homeless.  They deserve to see the light of day for the two months of the year that my house is decorated for Christmas.  Ideas are forming!

This first one is now finished.

And this one below is now in process (note needle stored in upper left corner).

I love the colors used in them and I think of them more as St. Nicholas's rather than Santas, regardless of their titles.  (Rest assured, the one just above will have two arms when done!)

And other than the usual home chores, that's what I've been up to lately! ♥

And In the Sewing Room . . .

. . . disaster reigns!!  I started to do a major sort and clean a week or so ago, but then I remembered that I needed to make bibs for an upcoming baby shower.  This couple has decided not to find out what they're having beforehand and I realized that the few bibs I had left in my stash were definitely boy or girl.  As in pink and frilly or blue and all boy.  It's been a long time since I went to a shower where the gender was unknown.  

I pondered designs.  I ransacked my stash of flannel--which ran to mostly pinks and blues.  Hmmm. . .  An already messy sewing room began to look as if a tornado had struck.  

 

I usually start my bib making by cutting a bunch of bib shaped blanks, and so I began.

The grey polka dot and the red polka dot seemed to be good choice for neutral bibs, and I began with the grey. I decided on a lamb theme and began with a Debbie Mumm design from her Baby Oh Baby design set.  

I have about six bibs done now, and plan to keep on stitching until I have a nice pile of them again.  So. Much. Fun!! ♥

Meanwhile, Back in My Sewing Room...

Yes, people, things have been happening in my sewing room.  My last post from there was about a baby quilt and while I pondered starting another, I decided upon a different course of action.  About four years ago, I found a project in a Fons and Porter's Quilting Celebrations magazine that I just loved.  It was a banner for Thanksgiving that simply said, "Thanks."   

I made one and gave it to daughter Ann.  She hung it from her mantle and it was perfect in her house.  While it was in place, Ann hosted a baby shower at her home and our pastor's wife saw it and loved it.  She asked if she could pay me to make one for her.  I declined because I hate to sew for pay--I discovered long ago that it takes all the joy and fun out of it.  I also need to say that at the time I made Ann's, my embroidery machine was giving me fits and it didn't know if it was the digitizing of the designs or my machine.  At any rate, I had no desire to make any more!  

Fast forward three years to last year.  I decided I would try again.  Since I had realized I could hang banners under my dining room window (my fireplace has no mantle), I wanted my own "Thanks." I decided I would stitch on my new (more on this in another post) Brother embroidery machine and see how it liked the digitizing.  The answer?  It did! I hung my banner and loved its message. **

So, back to this year!  I decided to make another banner--a gift for our pastor's wife.  I would make one for her because I wanted to and for that reason only.  I happily stitched out a pile of letters.

These need to be trimmed and a ribbon inserted and then they will look like this:

I just realized that there were two projects in that particular issue and that I wrote about the other one here. I really like Patrick Lose's projects and predict other embroidery designs will soon be purchased for my stitching fun!  And in this link-heavy post, here's a last one--to his designs.

**Note:  It was indeed my machine that caused the problems on my first stitching of these designs.  A trip to the spa straightened everything out, but still I was a bit "buffaloed" to try it again using any of these designs. After stitching the banner pieces on my Brother machine, I decided enough dilly dallying and stitched out a sunflower hot pad, which it hadn't liked either and it did just fine. Boom! Buffalo slain!

The Sun is Shining!

I know it's still February, but having blue sky and sunshine today has been a wonderful harbinger of spring.  Caveat:  it's cold!  But it is sunny!  

I've been doing a little hand stitching.  When we were at Bruder Bear's last fall, I made my yearly stop at a wonderful quilt shop in a neighboring town and was attracted to several primitive framed stitcheries.  I tend more to classic decorating items, but I do like a smattering of primitive decorations.  I bought two patterns and settled in to stitch one out several weeks ago.  The process was rather new to me because I had to trace the design on my Osnaburg fabric and it was a learning experience.  I was thankful Dan had made me a light box years ago--it was the perfect thing to use.

The little project is still in progess as a frame needs to be made by my handi-man, who is otherwise engaged with a bathroom remodel, so the picture below just shows the stitched fabric laying on a piece of batting with the buttons in position to be stitched on later.

The pattern was actually created by a lady who works at the quilt shop and she also makes the buttons.  Talk about a crafty lady!  I bought another of her patterns and look forward to starting on it. The colored parts are done with chalk, but I think I will applique with wool instead.  

The pieces of felted wool in the photo were gifts from Ann a few years ago and I think the red will be perfect for the mittens and scarf and the blue for the mug.  Now we'll see if I can be clever enough to do this!

I left my last post with a paragraph about our friend Steve.  We were able to spend a few minutes with him on Friday morning the 12th, and then on Valentine's morning he left us for a new life free from the cancer that had ravaged his body.  We and so many others miss him but rest in the assurance that we'll meet again.

Lifting a coffee cup to you, Steve!  Your super power was indeed love.  ♥

Tuesday, Choose-day

When our kids were growing up, we came up with the idea of Tuesday, Choose-day.  It probably started one Tuesday when we were all groggy at breakfast and we decided it would be wonderful if there was a day when we could choose to stay home and do whatever we wanted. We even came up with a name for it. From then on, everyone once in a while, we'd be eating breakfast on a Tuesday and say, "Hey, it's Tuesday, Choose-day. Too bad we didn't remember and stay in bed.  Oh well, guess we're up and ready, so off we go!"

So today is Tuesday, and here it is, after ten and I'm still in my jammies.  I declare it to be Tuesday, Choose-day!  Oh, don't worry--I'll get in the shower soon, but for now, I'm choosing relaxation and rejuvenation.  And Tuesdays truly work because it's the one day week after week that I don't have other things to do or places to be.

Meanwhile, pardon me while I shout, "Glory hallelujah!" because yesterday I finally faced a buffalo and got the last border on the Through the Winter Woods quilt!!  

I hate doing borders and this one had three.  Borders can be fraught with peril because they're long seams and if not done correctly, the edges can get wavy.  And with this one, wavy times three.  So, I procrastinated. And procrastinated. Which means, since I'm a weird quilter in that I only have one quilt going at a time, that I wasn't getting anything else done in the sewing room. Anyway, now it's ready to be quilted.  

I did make some bibs last week, however, when I discovered that I had just one girl bib left. There was a church shower Saturday morning for a baby girl who will arrive in a couple of weeks and of course bibs are my traditional gift.  (I will note here that I have at least a dozen boy bibs, but now that people know what they're having ahead of time, they are truly boy bibs and wouldn't work for a girl at all.)  I hadn't embroidered for I don't know how long, and so I oiled and cleaned my machine, picked out some designs and began.  Success! Here are a couple:

Sharp eyes may notice the knitted green baby blanket underneath.  I finished it some time ago, and actually blocked it!  

I love the blocking squares I bought because they can be joined into different shapes--long for scarves and square for things like this blanket.  So many great helps available for crafters these day! 

So here I am, happily puttering away on my Choose-day.  Time to make the bed and get in the shower.  And I just may choose to clean out the freezer!  It actually sounds like a fun thing to do today!  ♥ 

And in the Sewing Room...

I have some fun coming up!  I stopped by the quilt shop Tuesday and came away with a bag of goodies.  A new Christmas line of fabrics, Through the Winter Woods by Holly Taylor for Moda, had come in along with a book of patterns designed around it.  Swoon!  I was soon happily piling bolts on the counter and clutching the book as I added more to the pile.  Here's what I came home with:

The fabric on the right is a panel of eight wintery landscapes that can be used in a quilt or a wall hanging. I'm thinking the wall hanging as it's much more usable in my house or as a gift.  (There's only so much room for full-size Christmas quilts in one house.)  I bought two-yard cuts of the other fabrics, but I'm thinking I may need to go buy more of the line.  It's been quite a while since I went on a true fabric buying spree and so I feel no guilt.  :-)

I finished another project the other day.  I picked up the latest issue of Patrick Lose's Quilting Celebrations magazine a few weeks ago and just loved the sunflower table mat.  The full pattern was included, but there was a note that a digitized embroidery design (which would greatly simplify the applique) was available for purchase. I decided to order it and made several of the mats.  They are so, so...just right!  Of course, I love sunflowers!

It's been good to be back in my sewing room.  ♥

I Did It!

I got my little wool applique stocking done!  And it's hanging by the front door, where it is the perfect size.

Here's a view from a bit of a distance.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the directions for this project were terrible.  So, I sort of made this up as I went along, changing things I didn't like and doing what seemed right when I couldn't figure out what the directions were saying.  I like it!  ♥

Whew! Glad That's Over!

Have I mentioned I have a few allergies?  My body is strange (but then I think probably each of us has our own strangeness) and I'm  allergic to such unusual things as oregano, chocolate, perfume, and flowers.  Dan says it makes gift giving easy for him:  a new sewing machine now and then and he's covered!  :-)  (I'm not a jewelry lover, either.)  

Anyway, I digress.  A little.  Before Christmas I had a cold and seemed to have it licked.  Then, the Friday after New Year's, I worked, as usual, at the quilt shop.  Said quilt shop is also a flower shop.  I have had problems with the flowers in the past, but as soon as I got to work that day, I started coughing.   The florist was working away and had all manner of flowers spread out including my arch nemesis, lilies.  By the end of the day, I was toast.  I couldn't even talk without coughing.  I came home and by the next morning, I was sick, sick, sick and coughing up a storm.  Finally, after staying away from the shop, drinking lots of hot water with lemon and honey, and sleeping (when I could--cough, cough), I've come out the other side.  But I confess I'm leery of going to work again next week.  I may have to retire again because I don't think I can face another lily!  

Meanwhile, nothing much has been accomplished here at the resort.  I did finally start on my little wool stocking applique the other evening and am part way done.  I think it's going to be cute.

The directions for this little project are among the worst I've ever seen so I'm kind of making it up as I go along.  I have no idea if I'm doing it correctly or not, but as long as I like what I end up with, it'll be okay.  I hope to work on it when I'm done with this post.  Those pesky football games are on and I'm going to need something to keep my mind occupied because I don't think I'll be able to stand the suspense.

Projects

The socks I'm knitting for my mom for Christmas are coming along.  The first one is done and I'm a good three inches into the second one.  I love knitting in a circle!  As I knit, I marvel that someone first devised knitting, and from there, the intricasies of a knit-in heel totally bowl me over.  Genius minds were at work, for certain!

My next project, when the socks are completed, is something totally different.  The past few years, many quilters have been taken with wool applique.  A few months ago I spotted a cute kit in a quilting catalog and decided I would give it a try.  It's a Christmas project and we all know I'm a pushover for Christmas decorations. The kit came complete with wool and frame, so that helped clinch the deal.

Here's a closeup of the pattern:

I have the perfect spot for this long narrow picture:

See the area above the basket to the left of the front door?  I used to put a small quilt there at Christmas, but when we put the moulding around the windows, the space became too small.  I think this little project will be just perfect there!  All I have to do is get it made. . .

Meanwhile, laundry is churning and a can of Pledge is sitting on the kitchen counter.  Bruder Bear and family will be arriving Friday afternoon for the weekend.  If I don't want them to choke to death on the dust, I'd better get dustcloth in hand.  ♥

December!?!

I started November off with such high hopes of blogging more often and even got in three posts by the 7th. And then...  After Kathy emailed me yesterday to see if I was still among the living, I realized I needed to stir myself to action.

I have all kinds of good excuses.  First and foremost is the fact that I've always been a one-track person, or one dimensional, or to use a new computer-age term, linear. All to say, I do one thing at a time.  Everytime I try to multi-task, I muck something up.  And truth be told, I usually don't even think to do more than one thing at a time unless I'm forced by circumstances.  Does that mean I'm boring?  Probably.  But that's the way I was made!

So, the most exciting news is that I started scrapbooking again!  Yes, after about five or six years, I'm back at it. Dan's moving of his office freed up my former space and I finally got in the mood to transfer my things back over and begin.  I've done a year and a half so far!  I'm currently working on Christmas 2001.

I'm blessed to have such a great workspace!

I also worked for some days on a machine embroidery project for a friend who works at a local store.  I never take on outside embroidery/sewing work, but when Cyndie asked, it sounded fun so I said yes.  I worked up a design for them and then stitched it out nine times on aprons.  The problem was, the aprons were made of a heavy coated fabric and that made it very hard to stitch on.  I had to lower my machine speed to 1/4 which made the process looong.  And the fabric also dulled needles at an alarming rate.  But the aprons turned out to be adorable and everyone at the store loved them.  I forgot to take a picture, but a big stuffed teddy bear is wearing one in the store's front window, so I hope to take my camera to town and snap a photo to share soon.

Both these projects have taken my time, one at a time, over the last few weeks, and they're my excuse for being away for so long.  I'll be back soon as I have other things to write about.  ♥

A Little Sewing

Hmm, I should be down on the NordicTrack, but I'll make this fast.  I teach embroidery club at the shop this week and amazingly enough, I came up with a project (a potholder) two months ago and made up a sample.  But I didn't write the instructions.  Bad! I needed to get those instructions written up, but I couldn't remember exactly how I made it.  So, on Saturday, faced with a diminishing time frame, I headed down to my sewing room and commenced to recreating my project.  

Actually, it was a good thing because I was able to try a couple of different thoughts, so now I have two samples to share and participants can see the difference and take their pick of methods.  Here's a picture of my two.  

The one with blue batik binding is my first sample.  (An interesting geometric truism is at play here:  I assure you that both potholders are exactly the same size, but the one with brown binding looks long in the middle as your eye travels up the center, and the dark binding around the outside edge seems to make it contract and look smaller around.  Thinking of you, Mrs. Towles!!)

I've had a circular sewing attachment for my Berninas for years and I was pleased to be able to use it on this project.  Worked like a champ!  

And now, I'm off to huff and puff!!  ♥

Projects

Hoo boy.  Somehow this month is just racing by and my blogging is taking a hit.  I mentioned that I had finally come out of my sewing slump and created two projects for embroidery club.  Here's the first one which we'll do in May.  

The embroidered words are from an OESD Design Studio pack called Liberty.  I enlarged it quite a bit so it would fill the background area.  I did the blue one first and then, because I love Osnaburg, did the red one.  I used stitch #4 on my Bernina (I think it's that number on all Berninas) to do the wavy quilting stitch down each stripe. I really like this project and think that it could be fun to do for different seasons with other designs in the background square.  I love projects like this!

Meanwhile, I've cleaned up all the flat areas in my sewing room and I think I'm about ready to make a patriotic wall hanging to go over the sofa table in the living room for the summer.  It's a Schnibbles pattern from Schnibbles Times Two by Carrie Nelson.  It has many small pieces so I'd best be starting on it so I'll be ready by Memorial Day.  

A Little This and That

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and we had a wonderful day down at my parents'.  We broke tradition and had ham instead of turkey and it was delicious.  Of course we had mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, and pumpkin and mince pies.  As usual, everyone complained about eating too much, but that's to be expected.  

On the Monday before Thanksgiving we enjoyed an overnight visit from grandson Keaton.  His school was out for the week but brother Cameron's was not, so Keaton was looking for a little "vacation" for a day or so. He and Papa Dan cleaned and filled the hot tub and Keaton enjoyed being the first one in this year.  (I suspect it wasn't quite as fun without a brother to splash around with, however.)  

In the evening I introduced him to a favorite site of mine, especially during the holidays.  Jigzone is an online jig saw puzzle site with many categories of puzzles, but my favorites are, of course, the Christmas ones.  You can change the cut and go from six pieces to one with about 276, so even if you've done a puzzle before, you can still be challenged by it.  Keaton loved it.  

Aebelskivers were requested for breakfast and this grammy was kept busy at the stove making strawberry jam filled yummies.  

By the time I was done it seemed as though a bomb had gone off (I seem to have dirtied every bowl and scraper in the kitchen, not to mention the liberal use of powdered sugar), but as Dan said, no one was hurt in the explosion.  :-)  We all ate until we were stuffed. Mmmmm....

Of course the trains came out and covered the living room floor.  Dan and Keaton were even able to diagnose and fix a problem with a special train I'd gotten for Dan years ago, and Keaton loved sending it chug-chugging down the track.  (It actually made that sound once we found a 9-volt battery to revive it's "voice".)  

Meanwhile, in the sewing room I came up with a little project to be used in this month's embroidery club that proved to be a hit.  We machine embroiders often have designs we love but just can't figure out what to do with. I was pondering this and all at once came up with an idea: stitch out a row of them, frame them with simple borders, and you have a perfect little accent for a wall or table.   I have a different one on display at the shop, but here's one I finished here at home.

This particular design is from an OESD pack called Holiday Luster.  Each design in the pack is one color, which makes it perfect for quick stitching.  

And last, in house news, we ordered the carpet for the stairs today!  They said there'd be no problem getting it done by Christmas!!  Yay!  

Mid August

Apparently I crossed paths with a cold germ sometime last week and it liked me well enough to stay.  Sunday morning I was fine, but as I walked into church, I felt a little niggle in the back of my throat.  I thought it was because I'd caught of whiff of someone's aftershave (unfortunately, I'm allergic to most of them), but by the time church was over my throat was really bothering me. After lunch I took a big nap, but awoke feeling no better. By Monday morning, I was miserable.  I've learned through the years, that if I succumb to a cold bug, the best thing I can do is sleep, and this time that's all I wanted to do.  Yesterday I finally pulled on some clothes in time to eat dinner.  It's been a slow recovery, frustrated I think, by all the smoke from fires and dust from harvest.  I still have a cough that almost rattles the house...

Before I fell prey to the germ, I was enjoying some sewing.  Last week I posted a picture of a pumpkin embroidery and said I was pondering what to make with it.  After trying some fabrics out, I realized the design didn't have enough punch to be a star attraction, but it would be perfect as an accent.  I dug into my pile of tea towels and came up with a perfect match.

I also got started on a new set of pillowcases for our bed. The main fabric is part of Moda's Urban Cowgirl line and the machine embroidered "Sweet Dreams" on the cuff fabric is from OESD's pack Words of Wisdom.  Hopefully I'll get back to them in a few days.

Obviously not much knitting has gone on this week, so there'll be no OTN post tomorrow.  I did get a few rounds done though.  

It's Friday! (And OTN)

Yup, I'm still alive friends.  Busy.  Or lazy.  Or both. Hmmm, those don't seem to go together.  How about I'm lazy, and then I hurry and get busy so I get something done.  Yes, that's it!

Knitting has been done although these warmer days haven't been conducive to knitting. Sock one of the latest pair is complete and sock two is started.  I'm still lovin' plain socks with self-striping yarn.  

Meanwhile, I have the bibs all done except for attaching the velcro, which is my least favorite part of bib making. Too pokey (figuratively and literally), I guess.  Maybe if I made just a couple of bibs at a time instead of a dozen or more it wouldn't seem like such an ugly job.  I know!  I'll just do a few at a time.  Divide and conquer.  Sometimes I stun myself with my brilliance.  :-)

I'm also working on an embroidery project--just waiting for the final inspiration.  Table runner (in which case I'll need to embroider a second piece) or just a quilted wall hanging?  Ponder, ponder.  

I like the simple, almost hand done, lines of this design. It's from Autumn Contours by OESD.  I'm starting to get in the mood for fall and like the idea of some new decorations for the house.  And speaking of fall, I picked up some fat quarters at Huckleberry Patches in McCall when I accompanied Dan to a meeting there this week.  

They're from Sandy Gervais' Phenomenal Fall line by Moda.  I'm a sucker for her fall lines and I couldn't resist these.  I'll probably wish I'd purchased more, or some yardage, but thought these would be perfect souvenirs of our trip. 

And that's it, folks.  I'm off to dust our bedroom.   

It's Friday! (OTN)

There's not been a lot of knitting going on around here this week, but I have a little to show you.  I've baked, been to that celebration, worked at the shop, and actually done some sewing!  I guess you could say I diversified this week.  :-)

Not a lot going on with the socks, but I am getting close to shaping the toe.  Another inch or so.  If I put my mind to it, I could probably finish today.  We'll see.

Just for fun I started a new washcloth.  I love knitting these and I think I could do it in my sleep.  Actually, I probably have done it in my sleep, or at least in a stupor.  

Here's a couple of recent ones.  I love to put a stripe in the middle, but I experimented with scraps and came up with the cream colored one, too.  Doesn't look like a "leftover" does it?

I got the pattern from Homespun Living.  Click here to get the pattern for yourself.  Her blog is filled with beautiful pictures -- you'll love looking around if you haven't been there before.

It's a very dark and stormy day here at the resort. Thunder is echoing in the distance and we've had rain and wind.  It's very humid, which is unusual for our area. I feel like I'm in the tropics.  

In other news, I spent quite a bit of time in my sewing room yesterday and had fun.  My bib supply was down to only girl bibs so it was time to think boy.  I cut out a number of "blanks" in various blue flannel prints and began to stitch.  I recently saw a bib that had a cute expression so I made up my own in my software and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.  

Pretty cute, huh?  The stacked ducks are from the Baby Breedlove collection by OESD (still available on line at a great price!)  When I finish up here I'm heading back down and to do some more stitching.  And hey, it's all done with a needle, so it fits right in with OTN Friday.

Happy weekend!  

Family Days and Stitching

The last few days have been busy with family.  Last Wednesday Cameron graduated from sixth grade!  Oh my goodness.  He and Keaton attend the school where I used to teach, so going back is always fun, but this was a very special occasion.  McDonald School has always done a great graduation and this was no exception.  From a power point with through-the-grades photos of each student to Pomp and Circumstance as they received their diplomas, it was a happy, teary event. 

Each class had two speakers and Cameron was chosen to be one of them.  He did a great job.

Friday was his 12th birthday and yesterday was Daniel's baby dedication at church.  Since we were part of the dedication, I have no pictures to share though.  Eric's parents were over for all the events and we enjoyed seeing them again.  

And now it's Monday.  Time to get back to the routine of the week.  I need to make up lesson plans for the appliqued quilt.  Four people have asked for a class. And I need to work up some plans for the embroidered Christmas wall hanging as the shop owner wants it to be this year's embroidery camp.  

After pondering and pondering, I finally came up with an idea for this month's embroidery club at the shop.  I've seen similar ideas several places, but instead of using flour sack towels, I used osnaburg (my favorite fabric) and, of course, added embroidery.  They have an earthy feel and I'm really happy with how they turned out.  

Osnaburg shrinks a lot so I prewashed it hot water and dried it in the dryer on high.  A yard shrunk down to about thirty-three inches, but the fabric was nice and soft and barely needed ironing.  I love the super giant ric rac edging.  The fabric is Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket for Moda fabrics.  

Done!

Actually, it's been done for a week or two, but then I fell prey to the bug.  I finally got some photos taken and here is the machine embroidered wall hanging entitled, "And to All A Good Night!."  I love it!  

It was hard to get a good picture and still show the detail.  The one above is taken on the dining room table, and the one below was when I managed to hang it on the wall.  I'm not steady on the button, especially when I turn the camera ninety degrees, and I tossed picture after picture (thank goodness for digital!) and still managed to cut the top of this picture.  Oh well!

I took it to the shop on Wednesday and it's on display there.  I'm thinking we'll offer some type of class this summer.  

A Little Sewing Fun

I haven't posted on anything sewing related in a while so I decided it was time.  I'm working on a project for the shop, but I put it on hold for a few days so I could design a new project for this month's embroidery club. Sometimes when I have to do my own creating, it seems a little overwhelming.  This was one of the times, but I "bit the bullet" on Monday.  It's an idea I've had for a while.

First I made a simple pillow, but I put contrasting cording around it for fun.  I decided I'd make the pillow red as it would work through many seasons in my living room (my accent colors are dark red, dark green and navy blue).  I like having very neutral furniture (sort of beige/tan) as a backdrop.  I rummaged around in my sewing closet and found a chunk of dark red fabric that was just the right size, and then a piece of checked fabric I thought would work for the cording.  

My first mistake was in cutting the pillow front and back. I totally forgot to cut them different sizes so I could put a button closure in the back side.  Oops!  Oh well, Plan B: I'd leave an opening and stuff the pillow form in and then stitch it up.  The cover didn't need to be removable. Well, try as I might, there was no way I was going to stuff that pillow form in--it was too big and stiff.  Plan C: stuff the pillow cover with craft stuffing.  It took some doing to make it look smooth, but in the end I was satisfied and called it good.

Now, on to the reason for the simple pillow, the embroidery part.  I thought we could make wraps with embroidery for different seasons and simply change them out whenever.  I used my favorite decorating fabric, Osnaburg, and embroidered three flowers in dark green and dark red.  A little velcro on the ends, and it was easy to wrap the pillow and give it its first makeover.  

Here's another view where you can see it with other red, green and navy accents.

I'm kinda likin' this idea.  Now to make a wrap for summer with something patriotic.  The possibilities are endless.

Oh, and that rocking chair?  It was the first piece of new furniture (excluding the washer and dryer) we bought when we moved from the 8x35' trailer into a duplex when we were expecting Matt.  It's seen plenty of miles.  :-)

Sewing Room Update

No, Moby's not home.  This is his cousin, Stitchy, on loan from the shop while Dr. Sam continues to treat poor Moby.  However, it is wonderful to be able to stitch again with all the bells and whistles!  Jumbo hoop project coming up!  

The OESD Christmas collections Bernina offers each fall are wonderful again this year, but my favorite of all the designs is the lace box.  It's beautiful.  

I think I'll attach a ribbon to the center and hang it from the tree.  Hmmm, or maybe I'll set it on one the of glass shelves in the niche by the fireplace.  Decisions...  Here's what the pieces look like before "some assembly required."  

These were all made on my old Brother ULT and it did a wonderful job, but with Stitchy's arrival, my sewing mojo is back! 

I haven't started decorating for Christmas yet.  The days are sunny and cold, with no more snow, so it seems a shame to hurry fall out the door.  Winter will soon enough be upon us, but I'm truly enjoying these stunning last autumn days.  Thanksgiving seems to be getting the bum's rush lately, so I've decided to make it my mission to extend it to its rightful prominence this year.