Taking A Break

I am in the middle of getting another post ready but you know what? I don't feel like doing this anymore. I haven't really felt like blogging for a long time. I kept at it though because I thought eventually I would get back into it but that's not happening. After I lost my license and quit my job, reading blogs and posting stuff here, along with all my stupid little craft projects, was what kept me from going completely insane. But it's been three years now and I'm still not back to driving or back to work. I pretty much have no life whatsoever. During the month of September, I only left the house for a trip to the ER. The incision from my foot surgery was infected so I spent the night in the hospital. That was actually a nice change from my usual day-today. In October, my big outing was to see a doctor. I didn't leave the house at all in November, except to take a long walk around my neighborhood. I had to get out of the house that day so I wouldn't sit on my bed and just scream at the top of my lungs which is what I felt like doing at the time. And what I feel like doing now. But instead of screaming, I'm going to bed. So this is my last post for awhile. I'll come back after things change and I feel better. And when pigs fly. :P

(My apologies if this was your first visit to my blog.)

I Got Nothing Except A TUSAL Report

I do believe I've used "I Got Nothing" as a title once before.

Remember that cheer that went "N-O-T-H-I-N-G, that's what [insert name of opposing team] means to me"? Well, I am chanting the N-O-T-H-I-N-G part right now. I had hoped to have something that I had finished this week to share today but I got nothing. My reindeer is all cross-stitched but I still need to turn him into something and I'm still working on that garland that I took apart and was re-doing.

If you'd like to see what others have finished this week, check out Finished for Friday over at Lit and Laundry. And, please join in next week (that's me talking to myself).

Oh, crap. I just realized two things: 1.) you really can't type and eat cheese puffs at the same time and 2.) Friday is the New Moon so time to share a picture of my TUSAL ort jar. Where's my camera...

...so I just took this photo now and it's night time but I turned off the flash so it's not that bad. I give you my brand new ort jar, started on January 5th, for the 2010 Totallty Useless Stitch-A-Long:

See that piece of dark yarn in there? I really should take that out since it came off a sweater I was wearing. All that ecru floss is from when I took my garland apart and also from blanket stitching felt circles for the new version. You can't see it here but there's also some pale pink floss in the jar from cross stitching the reindeer chart.

When I was posing my jar on the bed for its photo shoot, I noticed it has "Don't Forgetta the Mezzetta" in raised letters on the glass. Before I volunteered it to hold my orts, my jar was full of either peperoncini, cherry peppers, banana wax peppers, or that caulifower-carrot mixture from Mezzetta. (I eat them all.) (In fact, I wish I had a cherry pepper right now.)

If you would like to join the TUSAL over at Dragon My Needle, go to the sign-up page and leave some comments.

And, I am off to find that cherry pepper.

How About Some Links to Some Freebies

Is Friday the New Moon or is it Saturday? Whichever it is, I have to remember to take a picture of my ort jar for the TUSAL before then so I can post it.

Bustle and Sew has the cutest hedgehog & turtle embroidery pattern for Valentine's day [via One Pretty Thing].

It's been awhile since I visited LaGattaC, a blog for links to free cross stitch charts . Most of the freebies are on blogs written in languages other than English, but when it comes to cross stitch, that doesn't matter all that much. And if you have to translate something, there's always Google translate.

There's a monthly Postcard Stitch-A-Long on Les grilles de Maryse. The January chart and floss list is on this post (English translation here). Some day I plan to stitch the 2007 Country Houses SAL (in English). Because I want to see pigs fly.

Stofnest is a Dutch blog with several free charts (monochromatic sampler type) that I really like. According to Google, Stofnest means Nest Material.

Over on TipNut, are two embroiderered potholder patterns of a sugar bowl and a creamer.

Look at this cute Quadropus made from a glove on Family Fun (that's an octopus with only four arms) [via One Pretty Thing].

Don't freak out but I may actually have something to share for Finished for Friday over at Lit and Laundry this week. I finished x-stitching my little reindeer and now just have to figure out what to do with him next.

My Half Finished Garland

I take the crappiest pictures. They're usually out of focus, even though I use my camera's macro and super macro settings. Sometimes I hit auto-fix once I upload them but most of the time I leave them as is. But I have to say I really like the photo in my blog header. Which brings me to my new garland:

Well, that's what it looked like before I took it apart. After I saw the photo I used in my banner, I decided to blanket stitch pairs of felt circles together, and then turn the pairs into a garland. By the way, the colors are a little off in that picture. Some of the circles are more blue and not so purple-y.

My garland was inspired by the tutorial on The Purl Bee, except I did not use invisible thread -- I have no idea why but I have a whole spool of it and it reminded me way too much of thin, blond strands of hair and that was kind of creepy so I just didn't use it. And I was too impatient to backstitch all the way across each circle so I just stitched a big X to attach them to one another. I figured the garland would be hanging up high so no one would see the X's. But now that I'm in the mood to do some blanket stitching, so much for the big X's. The Purl Bee garland was for New Year's so hopefully I'll finish mine by next January.

How cute are these decoupaged hangers over at Mod Podge Rocks? I also found out that every Sunday, there will be a giveaway of a Mod Podge Starter Set over there. It's too late to enter the one for this week but I'm writing myself a note as a reminder to get in on the next one.

Speaking of Mod Podge, there's a tutorial for covering tins with fabric on Think Crafts that I want to try. (It was written by Amy of Mod Podge Rocks.) I have a few tins that I wanted to cover in some way, plus I have a bunch of containers from The Republic of Tea that I have been saving because I'm insane. I need to get them out of the cupboard (I need the room!) and do something with them, like cover them with fabric.

Embroideroo shows you how to make a cute strawberry pincushion from fabric and felt. [Link via Tip Nut.] I'd like to make one of these too.

Of Course I'm Out Of Toner

I'm linking to the free artwork at Feed Your Soul because I want to print out a few of them but my printer is currently out of toner so I have to wait until we get some more and I need a reminder or else I'll forget all about it.

I also want to print out the adorable free 2010 calendar at Non dairy Diary

File this under Christmas: Over at What Katie Does is a link to a set of holiday patterns that you could use for embroidery or to stitch cards, like Katie did.

I did a little blog house cleaning last night and was reminded of two Stitch-A-Longs that I never finished in 2008 so I've sent emails to the bloggers in charge and asked to join them again. For both SAL's, you x-stitch an ornament according to the monthly theme, although I believe you can pretty much use any design you want. One is the Bride's Tree SAL (I completed three ornaments for that one) and the other is the Christmas Ornament SAL (I finished four of those). And since I already did January, February, March and an August ornament, I can start two Aprils now and have them all done before May hits. I hope.

By the way, I began a cute little reindeer cross stitch right before Xmas and I had just about finished with his head when I realized my count was really off. I tried removing the incorrect stitches, and since they were done in a deep red floss, they left marks on my Aida I decided I would stitch a background to cover them up. Then I got bored ripping out my mistakes so I just started the whole thing again. And when I finished cross stitching little Blitzen, I decided to add a background. Because I'm nuts. I'm still working on that as of today. I only went three X's out from the edge of the reindeer but it's taking me forever to get it done. Then again, I do have until next December to turn him into an ornament.

Mollie at Wild Olive has posted a cute embroidery freebie for January, the Perplexed Stump. And January's free pattern at Bad Birds is up too (it's squirrels).

I love that Blogger's Spellchecker tells me that bloggers is misspelled. They suggest I use loggers or floggers. It considers blogger a real word. Just don't make it plural.

The TUSAL 2010

Last March, I joined the TUSAL -- Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long -- over at Dragon My Needle. Once a month, on the New Moon, you were supposed to post a photo of your orts jar. (Orts as in thread ends or anything else leftover from your stitching projects.) Since I didn't keep up with it -- I only posted pictures through July and then fell off the wagon for some reason -- I was happy to see there will be a TUSAL for 2010.

You can join any time throughout the year but the first New Moon is on January 16th so why not register now? Go to the Sign Up post and leave some comments to let Yoyo know you'd like to participate in the 2010 TUSAL. If you'd like more information on the TUSAl, check out the rules on this post.

I think I ended up with two ort jars last year and I am ready to start a new one. New jar and new TUSAL: perfect timing.

And I am going to keep up with posting the monthly pictures no matter what. (Stop snickering, MaryBT.)

Blah Blah Blah

So my plan to get caught up on my blog reading is off to a rough start. So is my plan to get caught up on my email, my Facebook messages and to clear off the 17 empty Cherry Coke Zero cans from my bathroom counter, but I finally got "I'm Alright" on my iPod so I'm a happy camper. Yes, the Kenny Loggins' tune that the gopher dances to at the end of Caddyshack.

By the way, snottily telling an iTunes service rep via email that you never have any problems using gift cards from Starbucks or Penneys, unlike iTunes, will get her to issue you free song credits. And don't worry, I apologized to her for being rude in a later email. Once I made sure I could redeem my iTunes card and had those song credits.

Anyways, instead of tackling the empty can situation in the bathroom, I think I am going to make this nifty felt New Years banner from The Purl Bee. I never got around to making an Xmas garland plus I happen to have some invisible thread (for some unknown reason) so this is calling my name [via One Pretty Thing].

Merry Christmas!!

Since it's still Friday in California, I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!! And a Happy Valentine's Day because who knows when I'll be blogging again. :P

Links to...Some Stuff

Here's a post I started the other night and forgot all about.

After I hit the lottery, I will be hiring someone just to come up with creative and entertaining post titles.

Over at Retro Mama, there's a pattern for a felt partridge ornament that I just love. I'm probably not going to have time to make one of these but if I do, I will make a mama partridge and a baby one. And call them Shirley and Keith.

Kandra of Sibling Craftery is sharing the cutest robot Christmas elves embroidery patterns. I'm not a super huge fan of robots (sorry, Kandra) but I do love these. If I ever finish the ornaments from the freebies at Wild Olive, I'll start on these robots. Or maybe I should just make things when I feel like it all through the year and if they're done in time for a holiday, fine. If not, just save them for next year.

Now let me add a few more things.

Remember those paper chains we used to make in school for the holidays? I'm sure kids still are still doing that nowadays too. I always want to...ahem, whip one up every year but never get around to it. Well, thanks to this nifty printable holiday paper over at Whip Up, I started one last night. I didn't finish it because my bottle of Elmer's is pretty dried up but I'll get it done this week.

I also plan to do something with some of the Holiday 2009 papers from A Print A Day. Look for a post about my efforts in about 11 months. :P

If I had kids, I would totally make these felt embroidered handprint ornaments for their grandparents. Thanks to The Empty Bobbin for the great idea!

Guess what? I just popped over to Craft Gossip to see what Denise had posted lately on Needlework News and found something I must cross stitch right this very minute so I am out of here. If you're still looking for holiday projects, be sure to check out Craft Gossip and also One Pretty Thing.

One Ornament Down, Tons More To Go

You should all thank me for deleting the entire post I just wrote (except for the following paragraphs) because it was SO BORING. Consider it an early Christmas present.

Mollie over at Wild Olive has been sharing her adorable daily Advent Embroideries patterns, (look in the right sidebar), and they are simple enough that you could stitch the ones she's already posted on her blog so far, and then start working on the new one after she adds it every day.

Last night, I spent a few hours embroidering all seven of the patterns she has shared so far the mitten and making an ornament out of it. Why did it take me so long to do just one? It was due to a busload of dumb mistakes on my part, but my mitten is all finished, and wonky eyes and wrinkled fabric aside, I am happy with it.



You can see some pictures from last night's ornament making project on Facebook.

So, now I am going to stitch up the rest of the posted patterns tonight so I'll be all caught up when Mollie adds another one tomorrow. [insert hysterical laughter here] Well, maybe I won't get all eight finished but I know I can get a few more done this evening.

Let's Say Thanks To The Troops Part Two

Let's try this again...

I tried putting the widget in my sidebar but it was too wide. Then I added it as a post but couldn't edit it without erasing the widget.

So, just go to Lets Say Thanks.com, pick a Thank You card, and Xerox will print it and send it to a someone currently serving in Iraq.

Let's Say Thanks To The Troops

Obviously I Need New Glasses

Beware: Bad Photos Ahead

I wanted to show you the felt turkey I finished last night (just in time for next year's Thanksgiving!) and the daylight is fading so I quickly snapped a few pictures of it after picking the poor thing up off the floor (it had fallen off my night table) and tossing it on the bed. I had no idea there was stuff stuck on it until I looked at the uploads. I've circled them so you wouldn't miss them. See where it says "Open" -- well, that's really a circle around the pen mark that I noticed as I was stitching the turkey together. I tried but couldn't remove it and hoped it would blend in with the orange felt.



Those other two circles are drawn around things that were not there when I put the turkey on my night table last night. I'm not sure what they are, which is why there are question marks next to them. I guess I could walk down the hall to where the turkey is still lying on my bed and inspect them. Or I could go vacuum my bedroom rug, especially around my night table. Or maybe I'll just show you my garland. It's still Autumn, right?


(Sorry it's so dark. The wrinkled sheet is a nice touch.) I can't find the link to the blog where I found the tutorial but I'll add it as soon it it turns up. I didn't follow the directions very well anyway. Basically, you cut a bunch of fall-colored felt into leaf shapes (I found one on Google) and then back stitch them as you're attaching them together, placing beads in between the leaves. But I'm not that talented so I did it my own way.

First, I cut out one set of leaves and back stitched each one. I didn't like how the backs of the leaves looked and that you could see them so I stitched a second set and then whip stitched them together in pairs. Then I attached three beads to the ends of the leaves and put them all together, and 17 months later, I had a garland. And it was still Autumn!

By the way, I checked the turkey and the two extra marks on it were just fuzz. Here it is again, fuzz, ink and all.

You can find the turkey pattern at Wee Folk Art. I stuffed mine instead of doing it as an appliqued block. I wish I had stuffed the feet as well since they're a little too flat.

Be sure to check out all the fantastic free applique patterns and other patterns at Wee Folk Art if you haven't been there before.

Lilith, A Shih Tzu Who Needs A Home

It always kills me when I hear about an older animal who needs a home. My dog, Maggie, is 16 years old now and I just think it would be so sad if she ended up in an animal shelter for whatever reason. She is relatively healthy for her age but there sure wouldn't be a line of people, waiting to adopt a senior Shih Tzu who doesn't hear much anymore or see very well these days.

I moderate a Yahoo group for Shih Tzus in need of rescue. That's where I heard about Lilith. Sorry it's not the best picture.

Lilith is currently at the Loudon County Animal Shelter in Tennessee. I don't how she came to be at the shelter but I read she was matted when she arrived and has since been shaved down. Lilith is an older dog and she may possibly have cataracts. The assistant director of the shelter says they have had some inquiries about her, but so far no one has come in to adopt her. If the shelter gets more dogs and runs out of space, Lilith will be put to sleep.



I posted the link to her Petfinder page on both Facebook and Twitter, and I'm going to do that again. I thought I'd post it here as well. Feel free to crosspost the link below to anyone and anywhere you think it might help. Thank you!

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15068924

Are You Following The Gum Tree Designers?

Um, why are my titles in the form of a question? That's twice in a row. Maybe it's because I'm writing the second entry right after I posted the first one.

Anyway, every Monday, the Gum Tree Designers are sharing a new freebie. Last week's pattern was for an embroidered felt heart ornament that I love, and this week's is for a lovely Christmas apron that someone should make for me that you should download if you're the Xmas-apron-wearing type. Or know somebody who is. Named Patty. Be sure to read the entire Among The Gum Trees blog so you don't miss any of the freebies. (Next week they'll be sharing the last one.)

What is the difference between someone and somebody?

Do You Like Embroidering Elves? How About Skiing Koalas?

I have got to get back to blogging regularly. I keep jotting down things on random scraps of paper that I want to link on here, when, instead, I should just post them as I come across them.

Do I use too many commas? Whatever.

So, tonight's first link is to an elf embroidery freebie from Tangarang. That entire design would make a cute Christmas card, now that I think about it.

The second pattern is for a skiing koala from Follow the White Bunny. I love his reindeer sweater.

One more thing: does anyone remember visiting a site with vintage postcard images, including one of a boy with an ax?

Giveaways At Needlework News

Hey, Denise at Needlework News at Craft Gossip is giving away several books and some note cards. Go to the main page and check out all the November 15 posts. (Yes, I am too lazy to link to each one.) You have until next Monday to enter. Good luck!

Happy Monday...er, Sunday

I totally forgot to post this entry last week. I also wanted to mention that I am finally going to start working on my three Pay It Forwards that I signed up for back in (I think) March, and make a few other things for friends. I am not making anything else for myself until I finish all these either projects. Except for this koala biscornu. [Link via Needlework News.]

Sew Mama Sew is having their annual Handmade Holidays theme this month and will be posting brand new tutorials on their blog everyday. Plus they're giving away fabulous prizes, and there are recipes and printables to check out. And, if you don't want to make anything, they'll suggest handmade products you can buy too.



If you'd like to get the code for the button, you can find it on this post.

Finished For Friday: Donkey Pillow

For this week's Finished for Friday, I have a little felt pillow to share.

One night, I was looking at this pillow that I made...




...when a song called "I Will Dare" by the Replacements came on my iPod. The line that goes "meet me anywhere...meet me tonight...if you will dare, I will dare" just seemed to fit in with the two little dogs on the pillow. Except it was daytime on the pillow. So I decided to make a night time version.

I went with donkeys instead of dogs this time. I knew I wanted a moon and I knew I wanted the donkeys facing one another. The rest, I kind of made up as I went along.



Did you ever see moonflowers? They only open up at night. Mine look nothing like the real thing but I had to add something in a chain stitch so moonflowers it was.



The pillow top was all finished, except for attaching the bottom and stuffing it, when I got the brilliant idea to cut the piece of blue felt that the donkeys are standing on. Of course, I didn't cut it straight. So the black ribbon was added to hide the uneven edges of the blue felt. The ribbon came with the white stitching but I hand sewed it on and that took forever. Also, black floss on black felt will hide many of your mistakes but boy, is that a pain to sew. I had such a hard time seeing my stitches.

I typed the words out and then traced them on to my fabric. I forget which font I used but I really don't like the Y's.



I'm pretty happy with how my little pillow turned out. By the way, I used the same pattern for the donkeys in the pillow as I did for my blog header. It's originally from a set of vintage stamps and you can find it here.

If you'd like to see who else is sharing their finishes this week, check out this post on Lit and Laundry.

Sibling Craftery Giveaway

It's giveaway time over at Sibling Craftery and the prizes are pretty fabulous. To celebrate their one year blog anniversary, Kandra is giving away embroidery floss, fabric scraps, two tea towels to stitch, and a copy of Embroidered Effects by Jenny Hart. You can read all the details on how to enter here.

And be sure to check out Kandra's latest Homemade & Heartfelt embroidery freebie and printable gift tags. They're really sweet.