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. :)

More Tshirts!

Just call me the Tshirt Lady!! That's all I do lately but I enjoy it and at least I'm in the sewing room. Here is a cute design I downloaded last night that I put on a Tshirt for a little boy. It was tedious because of all the little bitty pieces of fabric to be appliqued but I think it turned out cute.

Here's a close-up.

And here's a design I think I've posted on here before but just on a turtleneck and with the wording gobble gobble. In this particular set of designs, they had three choices of sayings - gobble gobble, happy thanksgiving, or my first thanksgiving - that were already in the design. Or you could just do a turkey or a turkey with an initial on his tummy.

A close-up of gobble gobble.

And here's the shirt I've posted before but I added the trim and wanted to show how cute it looks with the trim. Turkey time is coming!

Now I've got a little pilgrim boy and pilgrim girl I want to put on a shirt, jumper, overalls or something. And some Christmas designs.

Yep, I'll just keep on being the Tshirt Lady!

A Little Vintage Going On!

This is the first vintage embroidery design I've done and it was quick and fun because it's so different. I would like to use some of the larger designs on a blanket or larger clothing. I just think it's so sweet.

Here's a close-up of the little chick or bird on a branch. The lace I sewed on the neckline is very old. This will be a gift for someone very special (and, no, it's not a grandchild! ha!).

I'm On A Tshirt Kick!

I'm on a Tshirt kick lately, doing almost one a day. I love Thanksgiving and found this applique pattern and just had to do this for Paige. Isn't it cute?

Here's a close-up. I always told my girls that I feel sorry for Thanksgiving because it's kind of "looked over" being between Halloween and Christmas.

Ornament Tshirt

I did this Tshirt for my little great niece for her to wear during the Christmas season. It's done in nontraditional colors but I think it's cute and sure will look cute on her!

Here's a close up. It needed ironing but was just too late when I photographed it. I mailed it to her today.

I'm just so happy to be doing some sort of sewing again!

Cute Little Doggie Blanket!

Isn't this just one of the cutest little things you've seen?!? I just returned from a visit to the beach. A friend and I went to a new quilt shop that sold applique designs and I just couldn't wait to try one out. Just got home last night and started right away this morning. This is a gift for a special little someone:)

Here's a closer look. I've never sewn with Minkee fabric before. I like the feel and the look of it and it's just perfect for the blanket on this design but, boy, oh boy, does it ever "fuzz" up your needle. I can't imagine making a garment with it but I'm sure I will one day! ha!

Enjoyed this design so much! I hope the recipient likes it:)

It's That Time of Year!

Finally I'm back in the sewing room! Oh it feels so good! I appliqued a little orange shirt for my great niece who's two with a ghost and her first initial, a very cute pattern and forgot to take a photo! When I made her shirt, it had been so long that I forgot how to start the applique, too - which button to push!

I made this for Paige to wear to the Auburn games when it's cool or she could just wear it to school or anywhere when it's cool. It's an embroidery design that really looks a lot like Auburn's mascot, Aubie, who is cute as can be. And she DOES love Aubie!

I wanted to put the same trim that's on the neck around the cuffs but was about 1/2 inch short of having enough! I'll have to go get some more tomorrow and finish it. I can't wait to see her in it. And it just feels so good to be creating something again, even if it is very simple.

Question

I am finishing up going through my mother's sewing/craft things and putting them in place in my sewing room. I came across this "thing" pictured above. Does anyone know what this is?

It looks like it might be handmade. The thread is threaded through the bottom and comes up where these little nails are in the top and a pattern is weaved there. I really don't know what to do with it but kept it because it was so unusual and interesting.

I hope someone out there can tell me what it is!

The colors aren't true in this photo but for you, dear blogging friends, who are prodding encouraging me to show what I'm creating, here IS something I've been working on from time to time. This is a needlepoint piece that was handpainted that I bought in New Orleans the last time I was there. I really cannot tell you when that was! ha! But it seems like a l o n g time ago. I am finally working on the background. I plan to make a pillow from it when I finish and I am stitching it in basketweave stitch.

I haven't needlepointed since our church kneelers were finished. See THIS POST. It is relaxing and mindless to do this and watch it develop before my eyes.

I also am creating a clean, organized "studio" for sewing and quilting and appliqueing and embroidery on the machine and all that jazz which will be fun again. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and concern. I do appreciate it and it worked!

Paige-isms

Haven't posted here in SO long because I'm still grouping, organizing, cleaning, just all kinds of things EXCEPT creating! But I have hope that I will get around to it soon. SO. . . here is a little Paige-ism that tugged at my heartstrings. :)

One day last week, my husband and I were to keep Paige and we planned to take her with us in the afternoon to visit his mother, take her to the bank and then to the park to feed the ducks and let Paige play on the playground, just spend some time with both of them. I guess we don't realize that she's listening to everything we say. My mother's grandmother/great grandmother name was Gann. My husband's grandmother/great grandmother name is Maw.

The next morning when we picked her up and we were talking to her about our plans, she said to me, "Bear Bear, I wish Gann could get out of heaven and go with us." :(

More Unbelievable Treasures!!

I really did feel like I was looking in treasure chests as I went through my mother's sewing and crafting bags, boxes, etc. I remember when she ordered the fillet crochet pattern above for the Lord's Prayer. I remember thinking, what a unbelievable undertaking!

I found this first. This was the work she finished. I guess you work the pattern from the bottom up. If you click on the photo, you can see a much clearer photo of the words - the end of the Lord's Prayer. It is just beautiful.

At first, I couldn't decide what to do with it and then I decided to take it and try to finish it. I may be taking on too much with this AND the cathedral window quilt but I just couldn't let them go. It's too much work.

Here's a close-up of her work. I've done fillet crochet before but it's been a long time. I will have to practice a little scrap piece first but I know I can finish it. It's just taking the time to do it!

I saw this framed and hanging in the foyer of a church where I attended a wedding in Tennessee and it was so beautiful! My mother did phenomenal work and took on phenomenal projects!

If Not Me, Then My Mother!

For right now, if I can't post my creations on here, then I'll show off my mother's. I call them Mama's treasures. :) When I was going through her crafts and sewing things, I came across this beginning of a cathedral quilt. I had seen it before and even asked her if she'd show me how to do the cathedral quilt method. She always said she would but another day when she felt better. :(

I really would like to continue this and make it quilt size. I do have a book that shows how to do the cathedral quilt and I've read and tried it but don't understand it. Maybe just those instructions are confusing and I can find some better instructions.

Also, I really don't know how it would look to continue with the fabrics I have. I did find some vintage fabrics in her things and could take those to finish it. I have a sister that has started doing some quilting, though, and I wouldn't want to take it unless she agreed. Maybe we could share the fabric.

This is a good close-up of the vintage fabrics used. These were probably fabrics she made our clothing from when we were children. A treasure, indeed!

Paige-isms

A couple of days ago, I was keeping Paige while her mother worked and took her with me to have my driver's license renewed. You know you always have to wait so long in lines to have that done!

So we walk in the door and the security guard explained to us that we needed to take a number from this table he pointed to and then take a seat and wait for our number to be called, etc. I did as he said and we took a seat.

While we were sitting there, Paige was just jabbering and asking me why we had to take the number and why we had to sit where we were, etc. and I was trying to explain to her what we were doing and why and what was going on.

Then when I finished, she just looked up at me and said, "comprende"! ha! I asked her where did she learn that word? Was it on Dora the Explorer? And she said, "no, I just learned it!" ha!

I never fail to have a fun time with her when we're together! And she never ceases to amaze me. :)

My Mother's Things

Since I'm not being very industrious at all with creating anything, I decided to share with you how industrious my mother was and the unusual things and various things she created (or at least to me they were!). When going through her things, I found this huge paper bag and a smaller box full of chewing gum wrappers she had collected. I think others from her office where she worked saved the wrappers for her as well as she saving them. I knew that she had in the past made trivets from these wrappers and she showed me how to make these chains from the wrappers as a child, which I thought was great fun! See how my love of creating came from her?

When I found this huge paper bag and little box of wrappers with some projects started, I just couldn't throw them away. They're still at her house and if no one else wants them, I will take them.

Then when I looked in her tiny little hall closet where she kept her sheets, blankets, etc., on the floor I found a vinyl blanket zippered container with four place mats (pretty large place mats, too!) in four different colors that were finished. I took two, this green and white Spearmint gum one and a yellow Juicy Fruit one. I am keeping the Spearmint one here for Paige to use and gave her mother the Juicy Fruit one since "lellow" is Paige's favorite color.

Here is a close-up of the mat. I plan to buy some of that decoupage-type liquid that you pour over puzzles to preserve them and make them "spill-proof".

I have seen purses made in this fashion from something that looks similar but didn't know what. I'm not talking about the Capris Sun bags. These looked very similar to what my mother did. One day I was shopping and saw a young mother with a bag like that and asked her about it. She told me that it was made from candy wrappers and they usually were priced in the $200-300 range! She said she got hers at market so got a better price and that everyone stops her and asks about her bag. So I guess my mother was ahead of her time, huh?

If only I could call her up and tell her :(