A Cute Embroidery

I just saw this cute embroidery hoop art at Flamingo Toes via the Mother's Day embroidery round up at Swoodson Says via Craft Gossip.  

Some Links That May Have Been Posted Previously

These links may have been posted at some time in the past but it doesn't matter since I'm the only one who checks this blog anymore so it really doesn't matter if I repeat myself.

Here are two super cute felt cases you could use for pencils or eyeglasses from Gingermelon.

Check out this post on Anyone Can Quilt and see what her great-grandmother did with her costume jewelry.

I love vintage hankies and have a bunch of them.  Some I bought at flea markets and some I stole from my grandmother (with her permission).  I'm always looking for ideas for what to do with them. I love this hankie valance from Flamingo Toes. Someday in the year 2026, I will make this valance.

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This blog was started in 2007 (!!!) as a way for me to keep track of crafty stuff in my life, and I miss doing that.  I know I made an eyeglass case last year and I have no pics of it or a post about it here.  There's a cross stitch that I have been working on since 2010 and I should post an update on my progress on that too. Even though I have no life, I can still post about crafty stuff like I used to, whether it's my own, or links to free tutorials or patterns.  I miss that!  And, everytime I go looking for something on this blog, it makes me want to get back into it.

Trying to find a random photo to post here . . . here's my dog Pumpkin from September 2016.

Wreaths

I stumbled upon GeorgiaPeachez Wreaths the other day.  The wreaths are made from vintage Christmas ornaments (think the Shiny Brite kind) and I wish I could buy ten of them!

I was just on Facebook and a link to a Retro Renovation article from 2011 about Suzy, the woman behind GeorgiaPeachez, popped up.  That led me to her tutorial for making wreaths.  So, anybody have a bunch of vintage Christmas ornaments I can use?

Check out this other Retro Renovation article on making your own wreath from Suzy's tutorial with 30+ more tips.

And, this article from the same blog about making wreaths with new ornaments from places like Target and Big Lots.

And, be sure to visit the GeorgiaPeachez Facebook page where you will find my favorite wreath.  (So far!)

All of this really makes me want to make a wreath but I am not saying I will do it since we all know it would take years for it to actually happen.

Werewolves of Wild Olive

I was looking for something Halloween-y to make this weekend and found two good ones on Wild Olive.

One is a no-sew Werewolf Hoop Art project and the other is a trick-or-treating werewolf embroidery pattern. 

I can't wait to get started!

Soft Pretzel Pincushion

I love soft pretzels, especially the kind you buy from the guy on the street corner in Philadelphia.  I also love pincushions, especially ones made from felt. Here's a felt pretzel pincushion from A Beautiful Mess that you and I can make.  Woohoo! [Via Craft Gossip Sewing blog] 

Speaking of Needlebooks

I found another needlecase I'd like to make some day.

Felt Needle Case from Sum of their Stories 

It's Alive!

I haven't posted a thing since last November but I refuse to let this blog die.  I have so much info here that I won't remember if I do away with my blog.  Quick!  When did I break my knee the first time? How about the second time?  I couldn't tell you but I can find the answers on my blog.  I don't want to lose being able to do that.

I haven't touched a needle and floss in months.  Or a piece of felt.  I REALLY miss it.  And, I don't know if I will ever make this cute little felt pouch for holding an embroidery project but I'm still going to link to it.  Because I like it.  And, I'm an optimist.  I have hope I will make it some day.  And, then pigs will fly.  That project is called Keep Your Stitching in a Project Pouch and it's from Mollie Johanson of Wild Olive.  It was posted on the embroidery page on about.com.

Anyone remember how to create a link?  Hmm.  Guess I could click where it says "Link."

The Go Anywhere Case from  Clever Charlotte is cute too.  More felt.

One more thing:  do you live in Orange County CA and are looking to adopt an 8 year old Lhasa Apso mix with a super cute underbite?  Well, then Max is just what you're looking for.  He's available from OC Animal Care in Orange CA.  I had him out for a walk the other day.  He is a total sweetheart.

Max (ID A1379368 ) was adopted over a year ago and then he came in a couple of times after being picked up as a stray.  His owners always came to bail him out then but not this last time so he's looking for a new home.  He's friendly, happy, good on a leash, seems to get along with other dogs  and likes to be right by your side.  This shelter photo really shows off his underbite.

I'll be back again soon.

Make A Felt Turkey Times Two

Sew Mama Sew has a tutorial for a cute felt turkey.  

And, in 2009, I made this felt turkey from an applique pattern on Wee Folk Art.  Mine is 3D!

Gobble gobble!

And, Wee Folk Art, I'm glad six year old links to your site still work in 2015.  So many links here on Pip Stitch are to blogs that no longer exist.

From Old Television To New Dog Bed

This is such a great idea!  Take an old console TV and turn it into a cozy spot for your dog.  The tutorial is here at Craft Shack (must explore this blog more). 

Here's Pumpkin on her bed:

February's Post

I told myself if I was going to start blogging again, I HAD to finish at least one new project a month. I also decided I HAD to follow through with the Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long (aka TUSAL) and post a pic of my orts jar every time there was a full moon.  So here's a photo of my orts jar.

Want more info on the 2015 TUSAL? Click here and Sharon will explain it.  By the way, the date for the TUSAL was February 18 so I'm late but at least I did it this month!

On to the project I finished this month.  Since this is February, I wanted to make something for Valentine's Day. I thought I had a small stash of vintage Valentine cards in a box under my bed so I decided I'd make a heart-shaped holder for them. Something I could hang from a door knob.  And, I wanted it large enough for this big card.

By the way, those are the only two cards I found in the box under my bed.  I really thought I had a few more.

The heart-shaped card holder I wanted to make is here at Plum Pudding.  It was posted on that blog SEVEN years ago  and I linked to it on this blog SIX years ago.  Wow, how time flies!

So here is my card holder.  It's made out of craft felt and a few odd buttons I had in my jar.  Oh and a piece of some pretty red ribbon.  I knew hoarding ribbon would make sense some day.

The funny thing is I made it large enough so the big Valentine card would fit but when I put the card in the heart, it kept flopping over. I still like my card holder though. Except the purple flower bugged me, which is why it's kind of hidden behind the other ones.  And, not clear in the photo.

The scalloped edge on the pocket is crooked -- I think I subconsciously have something against straight lines because I can never cut them -- and FYI, I have the dullest scissors in the world.

One more shot of my card holder in action:

So, we have a TUSAL pic and a project I started and finished in the same week. Pigs must be flying.

Edited to add:  I did have three vintage Valentine's card at one time.  I posted about them here.  The
big one is from 1946.

I Keep Finding Cute Stuff To Make

Over at Imanufatti, there's a tutorial for a really cute Autumn wreath made of felt [link via Craft Gossip's Felting blog].  And, Manu also has a page with a list of all her tutorials.  I especially love the bunny brooch.

I have a cute sweater (it has a shaggy reindeer on it) that no longer fits that I really want to make into a pillow.  I've been thinking about doing it for years now and I think I found the tutorial from My So Called Crafty Life to get me motivated.  It's for turning your ugly Christmas sweater into a pillow and will work just fine for my reindeer sweater.  

I also love this wall art made of vintage Xmas fabric, embroidery hoops and cute ribbons. Hmm...I don't have any vintage Christmas fabric but I do have some cute holiday dog stuff (that I never wanted to cut up because I'm a dork) but I'm thinking I could put that in some small embroidery hoops.

Here's a huge list of DIY projects from My So Called Crafty Life.

I must make this Pretty Posy Pincushion at some point in my life. Lots of pretty stuff at Molly and Mama Makes.

So many projects . . .

Wordy Wednesday

I'm sorry but I can't be wordless today.  I have some links to share.

Mini bunny from Gingermelon Dolls  

Bunny with a baby from Going Home to Roost

Runaways: The Dish & The Spoon from Happy Together

All three tutorials via Felting Crafts blog on Craft Gossip (you should check that blog everyday!)

Cute cute cute Baa Baa Black Sheep softie and Tooth Dairy Doll from Sew Mama Sew

Two Recent Finishes

Before I get to my finishes, let me say if I had been blogging back in December, I would have posted a link to Rudolph the Felt and Sequin Reindeer  [via Craft Gossip's Felting blog] and encouraged everyone to make one. This totally reminds me of Xmas ornaments my mom bought in the 60's and 70's.  It was a sequin kind of world back then.

And, if you like the Rudolph ornament and/or you heart sequins, check out the other tutorials from Thrift Store Crafter (love the name of that blog).  Some day I will make the trees and little bird ornaments.  (Stop laughing.)

File this under This Always Happens:  I went looking for the link to the Rudolph ornament on Craft Gossip and found these super cute Peekaboo Reindeer Stockings from Handmade Charlotte.  Oh wow, I want to make them RIGHT NOW.

I recently did make something.  Two somethings.  Both were for my friend Mary. Once upon a time, I had a plan to make things for the friends I had made through blogging. Mary was my first victim.  I had asked for her address in December 2012, and a year later, I took a padded envelope with her name on it to the post office.  I swear it didn't take twelve months for me to embroider a dish towel and cross stitch a little pillow. My problem seems to be in getting started.  I also realized that I truly HATE transferring embroidery patterns.

Here's a bad picture of the dish towel I embroidered for Mary.  The kitty pattern is from Sublime Stitching (the book).  Nice ironing job, Patty. 

I also made this little cross stitched pillow for her.  You can find the free pattern here at The Primitive Hare.  I wish I had made it look old like the Primitive Hare did.  I believe I used all the suggested floss colors and I stitched on that 18 ct fabric I always use that I now can't think of the name of.

So, that's two posts in two days.  Color me impressed.

Memo to self:  Helvetica

Cute Owl Alert

There's a tutorial at Bugs and Fishes to make a cute felt owl.  I see this owl  squeezing into the #3 spot on my To Do list tomorrow.  Right after 1. Waking up and 2. Eating breakfast  [Link via One Pretty Thing.]

Bonus:  a how-to on making an owl brooch also on Bugs and Fishes.

I AM GOING TO START BLOGGING AGAIN EVEN IF IT KILLS ME

Lately, as I come across cute stuff to make, I write myself a note as a reminder to later link to it on my blog , which is really lame.  How's about I just put it on my blog then and there?  So that is my plan:  to blog.  (I tell myself this every other week and never do it so we'll see it goes.)

Let's try out this feature from Cut Out + Keep where you can embed a project on your site.

See Cute Deer Button Brooch and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

Neat-o!  That deer is so cute and I love anything with a blanket stitch.

I started this strawberry penny rug before Easter and so far all I've done is stitch some seeds on a few of the strawberries.  And, if you like that little rug, you should check out the rest of Elizabeth's Creative Breathing blog.  She has tutorials for some of the cutest things.

I've always wanted to make a carrot cake (it was listed on the cooking bucket list I have in my head) and finally got around to it a little while ago.  I used Ina Garten's recipe and oh boy, was it good.  Really, really good.  Consider rounding up the kids to grate the carrots for you because that is a real pain.  Ina suggested using a box grater and not the food processor so that's what I did.  And cursed her the entire time.  Also, really good is her tomato feta pasta salad. 

Off to see what else I have written in those notes to myself.

Stuffed Bunny

Here's a Funny Bunny Plush Doll from A Beautiful Mess.

Cute Little Bag Tutorial

This link turned up on Facebook but now I can't remember who posted it.  Thanks to whoever you are!

A tutorial for a cute little drawstring bag with directions for hand sewing.  Sign me up.

Owls!

Janet of JMD Designs is holding an "artistic event."  Make an owl based on her free design and you might win some fabulous prizes.  There are two categories to enter. One is for hand stitched needlework or hand applique and the other is for mixed media.  All the details on the Evie Owl Event are here.  Link via Denise at Craft Gossip.

And, here's a tutorial to make a baby felt owl.  Link via my Facebook friend, Shonna.

Another Reason To Get Off My Butt And Make Something

Well, I'm still sitting at my computer, trying to get caught up with some blog reading.

Over at The Inkling Network is a tutorial to make a cute little baby owl brooch link via The Owl Barn.

And, now it's time for a rant:  Why can't Blogger set it up so that each link opens in a new window?!?!  God, this annoys me.

Also for Blogger:  why won't links work in preview mode anymore?  Maybe I'm the exception but I like to check my links before hitting Publish to make sure they work AND open in a new window and now I can't do that.

Ok, I feel better now.

UPDATE 9/24/15:  I can't believe I am doing this.  I'm updating this post from January 2011 because the link for the tutorial for the cute owl brooch no longer works.  THIS IS WHY WE SHOULD ALWAYS PRINT EVERYTHING OUT!!

You can find the link to the owl brooch tutorial as of 9/24/2015 here.

Click Me

This was supposed to post at 10:10 tonight. Since it's still not up, I am adding another link. Take that, Blogger.

Dutch Sisters (a new-to-me blog) has a tutorial up to embroider and make a cute toadstool. There isn't a pattern (they do sell a kit for it in their store) but I think you could wing it.

I have way too many saved patterns for little stuffed animals and I think these are too involved for me to make, but I could not pass up linking to the tutorial for making Niblet and Biscuit. Niblet and Biscuit. Such cute words. They're cute dolls too. I also just fell in love with Gwenny Penny's Welcome Autumn banner. I'd print it right now but my printer needs toner.

Who knows when I'll get to it but I am definitely making one of these felt birds from A Feathered Nest in the very near future [via One Pretty Thing].

I love this Pottery Barn inspired poinsettia pillow from Spartan Living [via Craft Gossip].

The Felt Flower Mixed Bouquet over at Creative Jewish Mom is now at the top of my to-do/to-make/to-drool over list. As soon as I decide which colors I want my flowers, I am starting on this.