A Quilt For Paige

I wanted to share a quilt that has taken a L O N G time to make :/ I started this with plans to give as a baby shower gift for my oldest grandchild who will turn 6 this year. I gave it to her last year on her 5th birthday! Haha! This was the first quilt that I pieced the back & I like it! It has "point" imperfections because I experimented with some paper piecing on parts of the quilt. The older I get, though, the less I worry about imperfections & just enjoy the process:) I really love the unusual colors & the fabric. This was to match the nursery (which is no more!) now I'm hoping she drags it around to cuddle with when watching TV or movies or just chillaxin' at home. A comfort quilt! Made & given with lots of love:)

What To Do?

This is a photo of a piece of needlework I finished stitching years ago. I don't know what to do with it next. Should I frame it, make a pillow, a little pincushion? Any ideas out there?

I have many projects like this just begging to know what they will be! This particular one is Norwegian hardanger embroidery (the heart) with cross stitch below the heart.

Back To Blogging

This is really a "test" to learn blogging from my iPad. I am still creating & wanted to share with you one of my current projects.



There is a history behind this soon to be smocked dress. It has been such a long time since I have smocked but when my first grandchild was born, I started this for her. She is soon to be 6 years old! It is black & white micro check fabric & the first plan was a Halloween dress, then a Christmas dress & now there will be cute little ladybugs between the two lime green lines of smocking. Should be cute!

I am backsmocking now & will do a practice ladybug before I smock them on the dress because it's been so long since I have picture smocked.

You can't see in this photo but the sleeves are already sewn in, trimmed & pleated ~ ready to be smocked also. I cannot wait to show the finished product & to give it to my third grandchild!

Amigurumi You Say?

Well, hello there!! You are such a cutie pie! Back in September last year, I finished crocheting and photographed this little fella. That's how long it's been since I've posted a "creation" on this blog! I don't think I'm repeating a post but it feels so good to be able to post things on my blog(s) again.

This is a Japanese form of crochet called amigurumi. I have no idea how to pronounce it. The book I am using for my patterns are all little animals or fruit and veggies. They are crocheted in the round without stopping and turning around to crochet in the other direction. You have to mark your rounds. Also their heads are bigger in proportion to the rest of their bodies which makes them the cutest little crocheted "pets" to play with or simply just adore.

This is seriously cute crochet folks!! And only will take a couple of hours to create a little friend for a child or an adult.

My next "ami" is in the works. It's an elephant. Yes, even though I'm an Auburn fan and not an Alabama fan, it's an elephant! ha! But Paige says her favorite zoo animal is the elephant and she wanted an elephant next.

With two more grandbabies coming, the possibilities are just endless in what I can create! The little ones are so easy to please:)

Here is a "profile" view. She is now in the toy bucket with all the other stuffed animals and well loved :)

The Latest

Here are some of my latest sewing therapy projects. The flannel blanket above is a baby gift for an adopted child. My oldest daughter designed it and it turned out so cute, I think. I like the pink and purple together.

Here's a close-up.

When I look at this shirt I did for a friend's grandson for Christmas, I think the title of my post should be Paying My Dues!! I did this shirt three times before I got it right, and as I was working on this last one, I kept saying to myself "you gotta pay your dues, you gotta pay your dues." ha! On the first shirt, the design was just too small without a name or some type of lettering to go with it. On the second shirt, it was looking good until the satin stitching started on the tires. I was trying to take a short cut and not put spray adhesive on the fabric for the tires and the fabric slipped on one tire so there was a tiny little place where the fabric was not caught in the satin stitching and it would have raveled when washed. Hence, this third shirt. I took my time, didn't take any short cuts and it turned out good. I'm such a perfectionist anyway which drives me crazy!

Here's a blurred close-up. I tend to get the camera "shakes" with close-ups some of the time!

No camera shake here with the close-up but I didn't iron out the puckers. I was in a hurry on this one getting the photo done.

And the final photo. All was good therapy for me.

Now I'm working on yet another baby blanket in a soft green with hemstitched and crocheted edging. I haven't decided what I'll applique on it yet but will post it soon.

Something For A Baby Shower

I began this baby receiving blanket two days ago and finished it in time to give at a baby shower today. It is white 100% cotton flannel with hemstitching done on my machine and two rows of hand crocheted border done in 100% cotton bedspread weight yarn. I used flannel for the cross and Minkee fabric for the lamb. The Minkee is very popular now but I won't use it again for a design as small as this. I only like sewing it with bigger projects like blankets. But I think it's sweet and this was a gender neutral receiving blanket since the parents decided not to find out whether they're having a boy or girl until he or she arrives.

I'm just so glad and thankful to be creating again. :)

Paige-isms

Today I took Paige to school and came right back home to clean house. I got a LOT done. I may start doing this on Tuesdays! I didn't completely finish but I did get a lot of cleaning done.

When I went to pick her up after school, we went shopping just a wee bit for some blank Tshirts (of course!) to do designs on and I was just about ready to go home with her when she said she needed to go to the bathroom. I like the bathrooms in Books-A-Million so we went in there. When we were finished, we went to sit on the benchs where the magazine racks are and she looked up at me and said, "Bear Bear", I'm fruster - rated." ha! I asked her why and she said "because I want to see my Mama." Out of the mouths of babes. :)