Sunday, March 28, 2010

Postcards For Satori

There's a little girl named Satori who's having surgery at UC Davis on March 31st, 2010. Everything is taken care of and nothing is needed but her mom wants to make Satori's hospital stay a little more fun so she's requested we send her daughter a postcard. All the details are on Mom's blog.

Please include the date of her operation if you post this on your blog or Facebook. Hopefully, that will keep most people from copying it to an email and forwarding it to all 719 of their closest friends for the next 27 years.

Thank you!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Once Upon A Time I Used To Blog

The other night I was sorting through a stack of free patterns that I had printed out because I was going to make them ASAP [insert hysterical laughter here], and decided to make a list of the patterns and the blogs & sites they were posted on so I could link to them here. The following day, I knocked a full plastic cup of iced tea over on my night table and the list got wet and the ink ran so my plan to post the links went out the window. The good news is I didn't file any of the patterns anywhere -- they are still in a pile on my bedroom floor -- so I'll just make another list and then post their links here. In 2012.

I also promise to take some pictures of what I'm working on just to prove I am actually doing something. One is a cross stitch design that I found on a French blog that actually came from the blogger's grandmother. Or maybe it was her great-aunt. I only read the English translation once and now I don't remember all the details. I also started making a stuffed Dachshund a few days ago. The original pattern was for a flat Doxie with a top body piece, a bottom piece and one ear. But I wanted to make him three dimensional so I added an under body piece and he will have ears on both sides of his head. Hopefully, he will stand up on his own. (I stole the idea of the under body from the Scotty dog at allsorts and used part of the Doxie pattern to make it. I have no idea how this will turn out but I know I'll learn from it no matter if it's good or bad.)

Have you ever been to Karens Variety? Karen sells new and vintage patterns, pattern books and pdf's for cross stitch, embroidery, crochet, knitting, dolls, toys and sewing. I haven't yet bought anything from her but I do get her monthly newsletter and have printed out some of the free patterns she's shared like this one for an adorable Bunny Bib. You can go here to subscribe to the newsletter. There's also a contest every month for a $50 gift certificate to her store. To see all of the free patterns so far, check out this page (many are for crochet and knitting).

Over at Red Brolly, you'll find an embroidery pattern for Brutus the Cat [via Freebies for Crafters], which is the first block of The Catalicious Quilt. Every month, another design will be posted. Block #2 is on this post.

Look at the cute Baby Bunka and her little dog at Fantastic Toys! How do I find out if I have an ink jet printer so I can make this? Looks like I have a laser jet. :( I also love the adorable Pom Pom Bunny and Mushrooms over there. Some day, I will make the Cupcake Softie from Fantastic Toys and shock and appall myself.

Ok, I'm going to work on that stuffed Dachshund. Happy Tuesday!