Freebies, tutorials, and coffee

I was searching for more free Biscornu patterns the other night (and the one I used to make mine -- I had printed out the Google translated version and the URL got cut off) and found some free charts here. I'm not sure what Berlin Work is but these flower patterns are pretty. (Ok, I looked it up: Berlin wool work)

This free chart is what I used for my biscornu. I used the chart called Popular Red Biscornu that's the very first link on the freebie list (right below the directions) here.

And, check out My Half of the Brain, a blog chock-full of tutorial goodness. (That's what I'm having for a snack: nuts!) [link via Domestic Chicky]

P.S. Chock full o' Nuts coffee is still around. I just learned from their website that during the Depression, the founder turned his 18 nut shops into coffee shops and that's how the brand got its name.

Maggie Turns 14 Today

Happy Birthday, Maggie!!

(yeah, Maggie is a dog who likes to sleep in boxes ...)

I couldn't think of a name

Hey, look what I found as a draft post. I don't know why I didn't finish it. Oh yes, I do. See the title.

There are some finished biscornu here (yeah. I'm a tad obsessed with the suckers). I like this one that came from a free pattern that can be found here at Debbie Draper Designs.

After reading the latest Stitch School post and clicking all the links, I really want to go monogram something ... a hankie, a towel, the drapes, the dog ...

There's a gallery here of some great vintage apron patterns (click the pics to see them larger).

I remember having a yo-yo clown when I was a kid. Most likely, it came from my grandmother. I know that I was fascinated by the yo-yos and would try to separate them, in an effort to figure out how the thing was made. I didn't hold on to it though probably because I am not a huge fan of clowns. I wish I still had it because I could take it apart and use the yo-yos. You can make your own yo-yo friend thanks to this tutorial.

Elwood

I forget why I'm here ... oh yeah, to say that Elwood won the World's Ugliest Dog contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair this past weekend. Congratulations, Elwood!

My New Biscornu

The top of the Biscornu
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

This is the top of the biscornu I just made this week. I stitched it on (I think) 14 ct Fiddler's Lite (I decided not to use linen for my first biscornu) and I used leftover floss from my stash. The button came from Michelle (it was one of many extras she sent for the needlebook swap). I like the little dog's tongue hanging out. (He's an ornament I found in a shop at the mall a few years back.)


And, that would be the bottom of the biscornu. My seams are a mess (notice you can't really see them and that was done on purpose) but I'm happy with it and now would like to do one with red floss. I need to find the link to the place I found the free patterns I used.

Bottom of the Biscornu
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

Always Read the Directions FIRST

Finishing School has directions for making a biscornu. I've been working on one for the past few days and I just found out that I need to backstitch the border. I had cross stitched mine and was quite happy to be finished with both the biscornu's top & bottom. Guess I'll be ripping out stitches later on. Why didn't I check the directions before doing the border? The border wasn't part of the printed out design but I could see one in the pictures. That should have made me think twice about adding an x-stitched one. Oh well.

Animal Painters

You may have seen this since it was linked on Cute Overload but here are some pictures done by animal painters. Their work reminds me of artwork that 2 yr olds in my class did. :) I love "Pigcasso."

Dang, I wish I had some Velveeta

I think we all read the same blogs but in case we don't, I wanted to mention that the Pioneer Woman now has a cooking blog that you really need to go look at. You might want to bring a napkin with you because you will most likely be drooling after seeing the pictures.

Why I wish I had some Velveeta

If you go to the Cross Stitch For Life blog, you'll a list of links on the right side to some free charts, including the Winter House (I have to do that one).

Speaking of houses, Maryse has put up the free chart of her Summer Cottage. I did the Winter one but hadn't gotten to Spring yet. That's my version of the Winter Cottage down below. I turned it into a small pillow. And that's another one of my pigs.

Bad Sue!

I love this quilt. It's called The Sun Sets on Sunbonnet Sue. The blocks show all the ways Sunbonnet Sue met her death. I like the block of her tied to the railroad tracks. [link via Ever Embellished]

That quilt reminded me of the Bad Sue Quilts website. Here's Sue as Lizzie Borden and poor Sue being eaten by a gator. Here she is stealing candy from a baby. I can't stop giggling at that one. Actually, they all crack me up. (The Sun Sets on Sunbonnet Sue quilt is here too.)

Kim Bunchuck, who is behind the Bad Sue site, also has Sunbonnet Sue, where you can find free patterns to make your own Sue block, including ones from some old Sue quilts.

If I was going to make a Bad Sue, I would show her not paying her taxes, or driving with a suspended license, or hanging out with Lindsay Lohan at a club.

Sunday Morning

I went with my sister to Borders last night and saw The Cute Book which has patterns for a bunch of super adorable felt characters. I think I just found my inspiration to really focus on getting a job this week. Seriously. Well, that and the fact that I really need some new underwear.

Celebrating Wildflowers has over 300 line drawings of wildflowers that you could use for embroidery patterns. [link via Outline Stitch Embroidery and History]

Calling all stitchers who own dogs! Please join Sarah's Flickr group and show us your doggy!

Peonies

Here's my peony from the other day (my mom got rid of hers but mine is still looking good) And here's the new one



And, now look at this freaking adorable pig collage [link via Vintage Transfer Finds]

A Biscornu Fest

I'm not sure what disturbs me more: Mia Doll's short dress and lack of underwear or Crissy Doll's flared pink, blue and yellow striped pants.

I think I need a "I Heart the 70's" label.

I'm fascinated by biscornu (a small pincushion or eight-sided pillow depending on who you ask) every time I see one somewhere on the internet. Last night I just happened to find instructions on how to make one while looking for/at something else, but forgot to save a link to the site. I was just on Swap-bot and saw there's a swap for biscornu, and that a helpful Swap-botter shared a link to Own Two Hands where you can find biscornu making directions, plus links to free patterns.

The swap is for biscornu beginners so I'm considering doing it but still on the fence about it for now. I do have some nice green linen that I could use though. The thing is I don't cross stitch on linen because my eyes are so bad and I can't see if I'm going over one thread or two or sixteen and my X's look all distorted. If only I could win the lottery so I could buy a giant freestanding super strong magnifying glass.

Doesn't biscornu sound like something you make for dinner? "Last night we had beef biscornu with mashed potatoes and peas."

I saw a snowman biscornu on Freebie Gallery last night. The free chart can be found here on Helga Mandl Designs where you can also buy biscornu charts -- there's a link on the home page. There are also links to finishing directions for your biscornu. And, click on the Freebies link on the home page for more cross stitch charts.

Edited To Add: I think I was so upset about Mia not wearing any undies that I forgot to include this link to a bunch of free biscornu patterns.

Clogs were all the rage back then.

Why I Stay Up So Late

Have you played with this interactive cross stitch thingy? I first read about here but its also linked at Craftzine where it's described as "an interactive flash cross stitch game to get people aware and involved in the environmental cause" (the cause would be the preservation of the Atlantic and Amazon forests in Brazil). All I know is it's addictive. The final result is always the same yet I can sit there for an hour, moving my mouse and watching the x's fill in.

FYI: My other favorite online time waster is Farm Hustle.

I don't think I've linked to Redwork Info before. They have some free patterns there including a santa, a snowman and some cute kids.

Freebie Gallery is a blog for photos of completed cross stitched freebies. Some entries have links to where the charts can be found too. I really like seeing what people do with their finished pieces. Look at what six different women came up with from one hedgehog freebie. (The hedgehog chart is here.)

My Puppy Apron

Here's an apron I got on eBay last year. I couldn't resist the puppies. I also couldn't find a place to hang it up so I could take a picture. The oven came in handy. I took these at 2 am (actually it was 2:41) last night. If it hadn't been so late, I might have remembered to use something called a hanger.

Homes Needed for Three Lhasa Apsos

This is Myrtle, an older Lhasa Apso, who would like to find a home for herself and her two Lhasa friends.

I know I've mentioned this before but these dogs really need to go to foster homes or be adopted ASAP. Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso Rescue down in Texas has two senior Lhasas, Myrtle and Claude, who they'd like to keep together, and a younger Lhasa boy, Hiram, who all desperately need foster/forever homes. Myrtle is deaf and blind, and Claude doesn't see much (but he can hear), so it will take someone really special to adopt these two. These dogs were pulled from a Galveston shelter and are safe now but they really need a place to go. You can see pictures and get more information on Lone Star's blog.

P.S. You know, if you're a pissed off Sopranos fan, adopting a fluffy little dog or two would make you feel much better. Really. It would.

P.P.S. You can still apply to foster or adopt if you don't live in Texas.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Myrtle passed away on July 18th. :(

Here's Another Pig

I really need to hire someone to remember things for me. I'm only 43 (I know I write like a 12 yr old most of the time) but there is so much I forget. Like, I had planned to post pictures of my pig collection every week. I was just reminded of that after seeing the 4th photo down in this post on PAMKITTYMORNING.

That piggy bank came from an antique store in Dana Point years ago.

So, there's another pig and now I can go to bed.

Free Redwork Patterns

Pat at Quilter's Muse has added a couple of free redwork patterns to her site, a dog and a bird. I just found her redwork pigs freebie in my stash which led me back to her site.

There's a lot of great information at Quilter's Muse. I love looking at the virtual museum of antique designs, especially the Adorable Puppies Minature Quilt.

While looking for something else, I found some free charts on the Kooler Design Studio site. They also sell bibs with an Aida pocket to stitch something on. And I like their felt embroidery kits.

For more links to redwork patterns, check the REDWORK label in the left sidebar.

I Am No Longer Peony Challenged

Peony 1
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

There is a peony bush in my backyard that is full of lush green leaves but there won't be any flowers this year. I've been seeing pictures of peonies on different blogs and I was getting jealous but I finally got a peony of my own today. My mom bought five of them at a local market and I claimed one.

I think I forgot to link to a tutorial for making embroidered buttons the other day. I really need to give this a try. This how-to is by Amy of Ibby Bee Quilts. I was just looking at her embroidery posts. I love the flowers she put on her daughter's shirt. Amy shared some information and some tips for embroidering clothes on Feeling Stitchy. I tend to buy white shirts, mainly because if I wore them to work and a child got paint or marker on me, I could bleach the stain to remove it. I should add some embroidery to one of my shirts and see how it goes.

Janet of Primrose Design recently asked on her blog for help with answers to questions she had gotten about embroidering on t-shirts. There are some good suggestions in the comments including one from elizabethdee to use Sulky Solvy Stabilizer. You can put your embroidery transfer right on it plus it dissolves in water when you're all finished. I also like the idea of embroidering the design on to fabric and then blanket stitching it on to the shirt.

Somewhere I have a clip art graphic of a peony. Maybe I could use that for my pattern...

Apronpalooza is Nearly Over

All but one Apronpalooza giveaway is ending tonight at 11:59 Pacific Time so go enter while there's about five hours left. All the contest posts are here. The very last contest ends on Tuesday June 12th so if you're reading this over the weekend, you can still enter that one.

I am drooling over this Red and Blue Apron from Made By Tess. And, the Rosy Half-Apron from Nana Company. And, the Funny Doggies apron by Dustpan Alley.

Close up of Rainbow Sampler

Close up of Rainbow Sampler
Originally uploaded by PipStitch

I've been adding some pictures to Flickr of my finished cross stitching. This was a stamped design that had both crewel and x-stitch which I did over 20 years ago. I learned how to do some of the embroidery stitches from the instructions and I had no idea if I was doing them correctly.

Yay, Anaheim Ducks!

I haven't paid much attention to hockey since the US team won the gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics but I did see the last few minutes of the Ducks/Senators game last night. Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks for winning the 2007 Stanley Cup! It's been awhile since we had a winning team in Southern California, and I sure don't remember one with so many beards.

Foster Homes Needed in Texas

Every animal rescue group out there is always in desperate need of foster homes, and if you've ever considered being a foster, please stop thinking about it and just go do it. And, if you're a small dog person in the Dallas area and you'd like to be a help, please contact Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Rescue and fill out an application. They've just been asked to take five dogs from a "breeder" and will need foster homes for these dogs and funds for medical care. They're also looking for forever foster homes to place three senior Lhasa Apsos.

I do get good news from Lone Star too and the latest was about all of their recent adoptions, including Bok Choy who I thought was the cutest thing. I'm so glad a couple from Lousiana decided to give her a home.

Another rescue group I know of, New Beginnings Shih Tzu Rescue, is holding a quilt raffle to raise funds for their rescue efforts. Hmmm. I wonder if anybody reading this would like to donate a quilt for a fundraiser for a Shih Tzu rescue organization.

Hokie Healing Project

I went back to the Mosaic Yarn Shop blog for an update on their Hokie Healing Project and saw they've collected 4512 knitted or crochet squares to make into blankets for the families of the Virginia Tech victims. Check out the pictures from when they had 2017 squares. Their goal was 2000.

Don't Forget to Enter Apronpalooza

One of today's Apronpalooza giveaways is for an apron from Apron Memories which is EllynAnne Geisel's website. She wrote The Apron Book. If you don't have it yet, go get it.

And, if you don't want to enter the contest because you aren't into aprons (what is up with that?), you can always give me your prize if you win. :)

Apron Plans

This is interesting. I saw this apron while entering the Apronpalooza contest tonight and thought it was really cute. The more I looked at it, the more I realized I was planning to make something very similar. I have a set of placemats that are made from some cute fabric with cherries on it and it's already trimmed with rickrack. I thought I could add a couple of embroidered pockets to one of the placemats and some ties, and I'd have an apron. I finished the embroidery on one pocket the other night and was about to start on the second one.

The doggy design is from a child's pinafore apron pattern where they show the puppy with ears made of yarn. They also included ears in the pattern so I cut two ears out of some white felt and sewed them the puppy's head.

I'm sure I'll stitch up the other pocket. I have another puppy transfer to use for that. But since I haven't touched a sewing machine in about 30 years, I may never get to actually finishing the apron. I guess I could always buy the Sprinkle one.

My Other New Needlebook

And, here is my other new needlebook. This one is just perfect. It's made of wool, it's got a cute bee button on it and a cute watermelon, and blanket stitching all around. These are a few of my favorite things. I love it. This was made by the lovely and talented Michelle, and you can see a better picture of it on her blog, Tangled Threads. I am jealous of Michelle because she has two donkeys, Mutt and Shaggy.

I have a picture of the inside of the needlebook but that one is too blurry so I'll have to take another one. I was stuck in my bedroom this afternoon with a small dog while the Maytag repairman fixed the freezer (actually, it's a GE fridge), and while she was barking her head off, I was taking pictures of past cross stitch projects and my new needlebooks.

Apronpalooza

Life is Like a Lunchbox is having an apron giveaway. The rules are here. You bet I'm entering this one.

There are already seven contests going. You have until Friday to enter each one. All the apron posts are here.

One of My New Needlebooks

I don't know what is up with posting pictures here. I just took these and they look great on my computer screen. You can see the beads and it's very clear. Then I look at them on Blogger and they don't look all that great. And, try clicking the pictures to see them larger and they look all weird.

So, the photos don't do it justice but that is one of the lovely needlebooks I received through a swap at Swap-bot. I love the fabric (you can't really see it but the inside fabric is pretty) and I like the beads in the middle of some of the flowers. Maybe if you put your nose right up to the screen, you can see them. I like that this one has several pages inside. I have some needles that are still in their original packaging, and I was thinking I could organize them by size on each page and get rid of the cardboard & plastic thingy they came in.

I had second thoughts about doing this swap only because I wasn't sure I could make a needlebook that someone else would be happy to get, but I am really glad I joined because I ended up with two great ones.

X Stitch Freebies

Here's a free chart of a dog who says voff instead of woof. And, some more freebies from the same site.

Six Strand Sweets has a bunch of free designs that use their hand-dyed floss. I was just reading over the list of the colors and now I am really hungry. Such pretty colors and yummy names.

Maybe I Should Just Make a Really Small Yo-Yo Pillow

I found a list of links for free patterns in an email that I sent myself. I have no idea how I first got to the list but it's here if you want to look. From there, I ended up at Sew & Sew's Patterns. They have some free patterns there, including a Poodle (you can buy the entire set of dog patterns too) and some cups, teapots & pitchers that you can use for redwork or applique.

UPDATE: The site owner is no longer sharing free charts at that website. I haven't been to this French site for quite awhile. Many of their free charts are cows but not all. You can access the freebies by clicking on the archives at the bottom of the page. The galleries are worth looking at to see what other people made from the free stuff.

And, if you haven't been before, go see all the cool stuff at Knitting-and.com. I think I found that through a Google search because of the embroidery patterns. I especially like this one. Or it might have been due to the needlecase.

Sarah of knitting-and.com also has a blog, Mostly Knitting. And, look: she is making 1600 yo-yos for a coverlet. Wow!

Nice Bangs

I never cut Mia's hair. Never ever. I swear.

Ok, maybe I did a little.

Here's a 12 second video of my Look Around Crissy doll in action.

Friday's With Crissy Doll

My memory is not what it used to be but I knew that at some point in my life, I had made a red & white checked apron for my Mia doll. So a month or so ago, I went through the box of clothes for Mia, Crissy, and their black haired friend in the god-awful satin blue dress that I had kept for over 30 years, and sure enough, I found the apron. I guess I was maybe 10 or so when I made that.

Crissy was 18" tall and her cousin Velvet was 15" tall so they were bigger than Barbie dolls. (I thought Velvet was the sister but a little internet research has her as Crissy's cousin.) I remember a friend getting a Velvet doll for her birthday when I was about 6 or 7 yrs old and after that I wanted a Crissy doll very badly. Crissy dolls had hair that "grew" by pushing their belly button. A knob in their back could be turned to make the hair shorter. Eventually, I got Mia, (that's her in the middle wearing the apron) and my sister got Kerry, who was tall and blonde and not in that photo below. Wikipedia says Mia was Velvet's friend and Kerry was Crissy's friend.

By the way, the one on the left in the picture with the black hair and god-awful blue satin dress is Tressy. And, I don't just have Tressy, I have Posin' Tressy. From Wikipedia: "In 1971 "Posin' Tressy" also a Sears catalog exclusive was issued." That doesn't surprise me. Back then, we came up with our Xmas lists by going through the Sears catalog.

One year my mom took my sister and me to the toy store at Fashion Island because we both had some Christmas money to spend (most likely from my grandmother) and we both bought a Crissy doll in the orange-y red dress. Wikipedia: "In 1973 Ideal released 'Beautiful Crissy with the Swirla-Curler.' This doll came packaged with a hair curling attachment designed to be inserted into the head’s opening. This Crissy model came wearing a one piece dress that was fashioned to look like a white and orange plaid jumper with a red-orange blouse underneath." I don't remember my Crissy having a Swirla-Curler but mine does move when you pull a string.

According to Wikipedia (what would I do without them?), what I had was the "Look Around Crissy" model. "This version was released in 1972. This doll . . . was different from previous Crissy models as it employed a mechanical apparatus, set in motion by pulling a pull-string . . . the doll’s head and waist were geared to turn and give the impression of "looking around" when the doll’s string was pulled." My sister's Swirla-Curler Crissy did not have a string to make her move, so at the time, we just thought I got a moving Crissy in the wrong dress and wrong box. But, on Crissy and Beth, it says that leftover inventory of Look Around Crissy was used for Swirla-Curler Crissy, so that explains why mine could move.

My mom and I both made clothes for these dolls. My mom did a much better job (she used a machine, I hand stitched everything) but mine are scary. I'm going to designate Friday as the day to post pictures of Crissy, Tressy and Mia in their groovy 70's outfits. Except for the apron, my dolls are wearing their original clothes and shoes in the picture (Tressy is missing a shoe). Crissy and Tressy both have their underpants on, but the 1972 elastic in poor Crissy's is all stretched out. I was hoping they'd fall down when I pulled her string and got her to "look around."

Stay tuned for a short video of my Look Around Crissy in action. I have to figure out how to upload it here.

Finished Needlecases

I finished the two needlecases for the swap. I'll mail them out later today. My felt stash is getting low -- I'm still using stuff I bought to make flannel board stories for my preschool class years ago -- so I was limited in my choice of colors. Some day, I want to make this needlecase out of wool felt. In case you missed me mentioning it before, you can find the pattern here.

Memorial Day

When I was in 4th or 5th grade, circa 1972 or 1973, my mom got us all an MIA/POW bracelet -- us being my sister, my mom and me. The bracelets were worn as a reminder that there were American servicemen who were either being held prisoner in Vietnam or were missing in action. I don't remember where or how my mom got the bracelets but I know she had to send a few bucks to somebody for each one. On the bracelet was the name of the POW or MIA, his rank, his branch of the service and the date he was captured or went missing.

My sister's bracelet was for Air Force Major Donavan Lyon, who was the father of one of my classmates. I thought he had been captured and held as a POW. But from what I've found on the internet, in March 1968, he and his pilot ejected from their plane after being shot at over Laos. His pilot was captured and became a POW but Major Lyon was not found and was declared MIA.

The name on my mom's bracelet was Major Gerald F. Ayers. He, too, was in the Air Force and was listed as MIA on June 18, 1972. In 1994, the Air Force announced it had identified the remains of thirteen servicemen who had been killed in Vietnam, including Major Gerald Ayers. I read on one website that the identification was made through DNA testing on some teeth and bone fragments that were found near the crash site where Major Ayers was shot down.

My bracelet was for SFC William T. Brown. For years, all I knew about him was he was in the Army and went MIA on 3 Nov 69.

I used to look at my bracelet and wonder about him. Was he married? Did he have kids? Where was he from? What did he look like? I'm not sure what inspired me but a few years ago, I went searching on the internet for information, not only on SFC William T. Brown, but for Major Lyon and Major Ayers as well.

I discovered that SFC Bill Brown was born in Chicago but had moved to La Habra, CA, which really wasn't all that far from where I live. He wasn't married, he had two brothers, he was a Presbyterian, he was a member of the Green Berets. He was six months into his second tour of Vietnam when his patrol unit was attacked in Laos. He was last seen on the ground, shot just below his rib cage but alive, on November 3, 1969. It took a week and a day for a search and rescue team to get to the site but nothing was found. No bodies, no graves and no equipment belonging to SFC Brown or his fellow soldiers so they were declared MIA. There's a picture of him here and the website for the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial has a listing for him.

From The Virtual Wall site: "On 08 January 1979 the Secretary of the Army approved a Presumptive Finding of Death for SFC William Brown, changing his status to Died while Missing/Body not Recovered. As of 18 Nov 2006 his remains have not been repatriated."

According to The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, the number of Americans still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War is 1,786.

I always remember these three on Memorial Day.

Tagging Stitching Linking

Fiona's comments on the last post reminded me that I didn't tag anyone else. So, Fiona, Kelly, Suzan and Kim, you guys are tagged. Tell us 10 random things about yourself.

I also didn't like the blurry pig picture or the way the text was lined up so the pig was deleted.

Google News sends me links to articles and blog entries containing the keywords "cross stitch" so I've been reading some interesting stuff. Christmas Ornament Stitch-A-Long is a blog for stitchers to show off photos of their monthly ornament stitching. (I tend to remember I should make some Xmas ornaments around December 15th so color me impressed.) There are also links to tutorials for finishing your ornaments (on the left hand side). I was really happy to see one for making a felt frame ornament. I had seen something similar on a website and wasn't sure how to do it. Now I know. :) I have two finished freebies that I'd to turn into ornaments. Not for Xmas but just to hang up somewhere. By the way, anyone can join the SAL blog. You can find out how on the blog.

Hmm, I just realized that I had posted a link to a stitcher's finished version of the Tree Farm (a freebie I have on my to-do list) last week after seeing it on CyberStitchers, and I see it's also on the Christmas Ornament Stitch-A-Along blog. I guess Barbara the stitcher is a member of both. It's a small world afterall.

Please don't yell at me if you get that song stuck in your head for the next seven hours.

And, to add to that, I had been planning on linking to some freebies that I found indirectly through something another member of CyberStitchers had made. (She had made something from a free pattern so I tried to find the designer it came from and found something else instead.) Trail Creek Farm has some free charts of the four seasons and a couple of patriotic ones too. I ended up at their site after seeing this picture and tracking down the Puppy Love chart. (Lots of websites sell it but I'm linking to Stitching Bits and Bobs because I've bought stuff from them in the past. And, look, Puppy Love is on sale right now.) I like how the lady only stitched two of the dogs and added their names below. That made me go "awww" because I once had a Sammi and a Sophie dog. You know, I could borrow her idea and make some Xmas ornaments for my dog friends this year using the Puppy Love chart. I just might do that.

But, first, I am going to go make potato salad. Happy Memorial Day!

Survey Says

Lately, I've been seeing bloggers getting tagged to list seven weird things about themselves. Amy tagged me for a slightly different survey.

Ten random things about me:

1. I have not driven a car for seven months.

2. I have not used my front door key in the same amount of time.

3. I will smush spiders with a shoe if I find one in the house but will catch crickets and set them free outdoors.

4. My name would have been David had I been a boy.

5. I have a collection of pigs. Most of them were given to me by family and friends. Once people know you collect something, if they see one, they'll buy it for you.

6. I cannot roll my R's (no wonder I hated taking Spanish).

7. But I can smell the asparagus pee.*

8. OJ Simpson nodded at me after I smiled at him while pumping gas at a station in Laguna Niguel, CA. This was before he killed anyone.

9. I don't get people who say they don't like cheese or they don't like vegetables or they don't like meat. I don't see how you can lump aged Vermont cheddar, mascarpone and fresh mozzarella in the same category and write them all off.

10. I once hurt my toe while playing kickball. For several days I limped around the house, while my mom and sister insisted I was faking it. Finally, my mom took me to the doctor who did an x-ray and told me I had broken it.

* See this site for an explanation

"He Gets Wrapped Up Like a Little Burrito"

This is sweet. Wanda Cline is a vet tech at a pet hospital in Owasso, Oklahoma. She crochets "recovery blankets" for the dogs & cats who come in for surgery. You can see the video here (you'll have to sit through a quick commercial first) or read the story here.

Another version of the Tree Farm

I like the Tree Farm freebie from The Sampler Girl and eventually I'll do it. Here's a "slightly modified"version that a member of Cyberstitchers stitched.

Every night, I get an email from Cyberstitchers with the latest photos of finished cross stitch pieces from their gallery. It's a good way to find new charts to buy. You can sign up for the newsletter here.

And, don't forget to check out the rest of the free charts from The Sampler Girl.

Major Happy Dance Going On Here

So, I was just sitting here, reading over the latest Google News Alert containing the keyword "dog" and I see the very last link and I wanted to scream and do a happy dance and tell everybody I knew that MASTER TANK AND NILA ARE FINALLY GOING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess this means I can stop sending hate mail to Pam Bondi.

Ok, I never did send her any hate mail but whenever I saw her on television, I would tell her to STFU and then change the channel.

After Hurricane Katrina, Pam Bondi adopted a St. Bernard from a Florida shelter. The dog, Master Tank, had been left at a temporary shelter in Louisiana with his doggy pal, Nila, by his owners, the Couture family. The owners were told they could come and get the dogs when they were settled in a new house. At some point, the dogs were moved to a shelter in Florida. It took a few months but the Coutures finally tracked them down, and said Ok, we want our dogs now. The shelter said Sorry, but we adopted them out. Pam Bondi, who adopted Master Tank, refused to give him back. Another woman, Rhonda Someone, had adopted Nila, the other dog, and she also refused to give her back to the Coutures.

Unlike many dogs rescued after Katrina, the shelter in Florida knew exactly who these two belonged to, so why they let Pam and Rhonda adopt them doesn't make sense. If I could track down owners of Katrina animals, then surely the shelter could have found the Coutures had they bothered to look.

This custody battle was actually going to go to court in July. (Residents of Hillsborough County in Florida should be beyond pissed off that their tax dollars would be funding this case.) But, apparently, Pam has come to her senses and has decided to return Master Tank to the Couture Family. So, did the woman who adopted Nila. It was the right thing to do.

This article has a couple of pictures of the dogs with Steven Couture and one of his grandkids.

What wonderful news!

UPDATE: If you happen to read that Pam Bondi will be paying for vet care for Master Tank for the rest of his life, it's not true. The Coutures will get their court costs paid for but that's about it.

Needlebook Swap (What Was I Thinking)

I signed up for another swap on Swap-bot. I'm already nervous about it because I have to make a needlebook for two people (or was it three?) and it freaks me out a little to know that what I make will be for someone else. Someone who will probably look at it, snicker and say "Wow, she really needs to practice that blanket stitch." I'm 99% sure I'll make the needlebooks out of felt. Not sure what I'll be doing with it yet though. I'm going to use the pattern for the Forget-Me-Not needlebook from Pattern Bee. I've already made one for myself and was happy with how it turned out.

Speaking of needlebooks, look at this Hello Kitty one. How cute is that. The strawberry and the crochet cupcake thingy are adorable too. I don't think I've ever been to Little Thing before but she makes some really nice stuff. I love this purse. And there's a tutorial for a Kitty-Heart Felt Keyring. I really like that. Look at the other keyrings she has made.


Janet at Primrose Designs is selling embroidery patterns now. They're all adorable. They aren't iron-ons so you'll have to transfer them on to fabric yourself.

I recently did a horrible job of transferring a n embroidery design onto a linen towel. I ended up with double lines in a couple of places -- I did not secure the pattern to the towel before ironing it -- so I was just going to toss the towel in the trash. But I decided to try washing it. So, a little Spray N Wash, a little bleach, and one wash cycle later, and the entire ironed-on transfer was gone. And now I can try putting the pattern on the towel again. Memo to my idiot self: don't forget the pins next time.

Ok, I am off to stitch up some felt needlebooks.

Free pattern for Hankie Apron

I've noticed you can use patterns for filet crochet for cross stitch too so I've been looking for freebies. I came across Karens Variety, a site that sells new & used patterns and pattern books for knitting, crochet, needlework and sewing. Every month, Karen puts out a newsletter. You can find directions for two simple aprons made out of hankies in the December 2006 newsletter. Click where it has "Beau Catcher Apron." I think I could actually make these. I wish I could make the Poodle slippers.

Free Rabbit Charts

Since I can't buy any new charts right now (it sucks to be unemployed) , I've been trying to stitch what I have in my stash, plus anything new and free I can find.

Whispered by the Wind has several free cross stitch charts, including a few with rabbits, two patriotic designs (I like that flag), a cat with a quilt, a Halloween one, and a snowflake one. I think I'll be doing the bunny & basket one first. Mari from Whispered by the Wind has a cat named Lucy. Doesn't Lucy look so soft?

Vermillion Stitchery also has a cute bunny with a basket chart available for free. And some other nice freebies too. I really want to do those strawberries.

I Wonder What's Linked To On My AOL Journal

Back in August 2003, I started a "journal" on AOL just to see how their blogging ...uh, what do I call it? Blogging set up? Blogging tool? Blogging program? Blogging editor thingy? Whatever. Anyway, I just went back to see what I had put there and found this recipe for an orzo salad.

Orzo Salad

Cook about half a box of orzo according to the directions on the package. Peel and slice one eggplant (I used the regular kind but you could use Japanese or Chinese). Slice a red onion. Slice a fennel bulb. Grill all the sliced vegetables on your grill pan. You can also use sliced zucchini or yellow squash but I didn't have any this time. Bell peppers are good to roast too but tonight I just used a jar of roasted ones that I had on hand.

Mix some white wine vinegar, one or two minced garlic cloves (more if they are small cloves), fresh basil, some of the fronds from the fennel, salt & pepper into a bowl. Slowly whisk in some olive oil. The original recipe did not give amounts so I just do three tablespoons of both oil and vinegar.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables, add in the cooked orzo, and toss it all together.

I think I came up with that thanks to recipes by Jamie Oliver and Ina Garten. I'll have to see if I can track down the originals that inspired me.

Also, at the old blog, was a link to these three salad recipes that use Green Tabasco Sauce. I love Tabasco and always have at least two kinds in the fridge, but I never got around to making any of these salads. I'll put them on my to-do list.

There was a link to Vintage Cookbook too. I haven't bought anything from there but I have bought some things (hankies, plates, embroidered linen towels) from one of the sister sites, Easy Street Antiques.

I had also posted a link to The Sweet Onion Source, where you can find recipes and information on Walla Walla, Maui and Vidalia onions, because I love onions.

This entry is really making me hungry.

The Felt Heart

Oh, look! Another blurry picture!

I made this heart a little while ago from a pattern at AllPeopleQuilt. They had attached their flowers with only French knots in the middle but I put a little stitch on each petal. I did the same with the leaves, instead of doing a backstitch down the middle (I tried that and didn't like how my stitches looked) so I did it my way). I left off the tendrils too. It was a real pain to cut out those felt flowers and mine look like crap, plus I think I ended up with only one decent French knot, but overall, I like my felt heart.

We might need to out this in The Hell Has Frozen Over Category, since I actually made something from a pattern I had previously linked to. (Oh my God, alert the media!)

9/17/08 update: the pattern is now here.

For My Mink Coat

Blackbird Designs has a free chart of a little house called Spring's Notice. You can also change the colors to make it for Fall (see the color list on their website). I see a lot of stuff that I like on their site.

That's one of my pigs. I got that one on eBay a few years ago. I love the saying on it. (Not that I would save up for a mink coat. A BMW, yes, but not for a fur coat.)

Yet Another Great Apron To Buy (and a bag too)

Tie One On now has links to sites that sell homemade aprons. I was going through them last night and found Made By Tess. I love all the aprons but this cupcake one is my favorite and I love this bag too. If only my birthday was this month.

Tess has a blog too. She recently gave a home to a stray dog. I should buy one of her aprons for doing that.

What I'm Working on Now

What I'm Working on Now
Originally uploaded by PipStitch.

The Stitcher's Alphabet is a series of 26 letter blocks from Brooke's Books Publishing. The last letter released was K. I'm still working on E, H and I, and B still needs a button. You can find the free charts here.

Finally, Pictures

I found the USB cable for my camera so I can now post some pictures. It was in a box in the garage (don't ask). The cable I had found earlier was to connect the camera to a printer so that's why it didn't fit into my computer. Anyway.

That's my version of the Forget-Me-Not Valentine Needlecase from Pattern Bee. You can get the free pattern here.

Not only does my blanket stitch need improvement but so do my picture taking skills. :)

Postcard Swap

Another swap I'm in is this one. You'll have five partners and send each a postcard with a quote on the back, or a joke, or something about your mom, or the reasons you bought the card. Easy enough. :)


I swap with Swap-bot!

A Quick One Before I Go To Bed

8/13/10 update: I posted a new picture of the Scottie needlebook because the old one was totally out of focus.

Here's a pattern for a cute needlebook that's shaped like Sunbonnet Sue. I have a Scottie dog one that I got on eBay that was made the same way. The person who made it sandwiched a felt square (for the needles) between two Scottie shaped pieces of felt and sewed them together at the top. (Can you tell I no longer have camera issues? Mr. Hewlett and Mr. Packard are now off the shit list too.)

Doesn't this look good? I need to make that and soon.

Hot damn! Over at Sommer Designs is a picture of Carrie the blogger in her apron for National Wear Your Apron Day! Woo hoo! There's also a dog in the photo so bonus points for Carrie. And, wow, look at this gorgeous apron she made and sells.

It's National Wear Your Apron Day

Today is National Wear Your Apron Day! I don't have a picture to share of me in mine so enjoy this one of a woman wearing hers in her 1950's kitchen from Shorpy. My grandmother had a countertop like that -- with metal trim -- and the same drawer pulls in her kitchen too.

UPDATE: I just went through all the blogs I read pretty regularly and not a one mentioned National Wear Your Apron Day. But there is a Wear Your Apron As Fashion Flickr group to see.

Happy Mother's Day

I've been trying to find a cute free graphic to use here for Mother's Day but haven't been successful (and AOL shut down while I was at one site and that always pisses me off and makes me lose interest in searching for stuff), plus I seem to have a policy of not mentioning holidays in my blog, but I'll ignore it this time and wish all the moms out there a Happy Mother's Day (and that includes those of you who are dog moms too).

(Make your own card catalog card. Link via Domestic Chicky)

(P.S. I don't really have a policy regarding blogging about holidays. I just seem to forget to mention them for some unknown reason.)

I Want Your Money (Please)

For a few years now, I've done The Blogathon, an online event where you blog for 24 hrs straight to raise money for a designated charity. I always choose a Shih Tzu rescue group. This year, it will be Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Rescue of Texas. The Blogathon won't be until July 28th (mark your calendars!) but like every other rescue I know, Lone Star needs desperately needs money now. Since May 1, they've been asked to take in 39 dogs -- that's THIRTY NINE -- dogs from animal shelters, from owners who can no longer keep them, and strays found on the street. If you have a few dollars to spare and would like to help Lone Star rescue a dog or two, please please please make a donation to them, even if it's only a small amount -- hey, every little bit helps! Donations can be made through Pay Pal or by mailing a check. You can find links to do that in this entry from their blog. Thank you!!!

(In the photo is one of the shelter dogs that Lone Star would like to pull. She's 11 yrs old and blind, and it doesn't take a genius to know that the general public will not be lining up to adopt her anytime soon.)

And, if you're in a position to provide a foster home for Lone Star, please fill out an application. Like every other rescue group out there, they are always in dire need of fosters. If you can't foster a dog, please consider helping in other ways. Not sure how else to help? Check out this list of 100 ways to help a rescue without adopting or fostering.

If you'd like to help a rescue group or animal shelter but not sure which one to call, you can find listings of local organizations by going to Petfinder and putting in your zip code.

I'm not sure why but out of all of Lone Star's dogs, if I could adopt one, it would be Bok Choy. Probably because her name is food-related. :)

UPDATE: As of May 13, Lone Star is able to take nine of these dogs, woo hoo! And, happily, a few others have been either adopted or spoken for by other rescues. They still want to get the four seniors from Galveston though so please send a few bucks their way if you can. Thank you!

UPDATE #2: As of May 22, a foster home has been found for the doggy in the picture but Lone Star still needs fosters for three other seniors (hint hint).

Inspiring Words From The Toymaker

I just found this in The Toymaker newsletter from last month (yeah, I'm a little slow with reading my email). I hope it's ok to post it here.

A long time ago, when I was getting ready to start college, I met with the admissions counselor and she asked me what my major was. I remember summoning up as much courage and conviction as my eighteen-year old nerd girl self could, and squeaking, "My name is Marilyn and I'm going to be a children's book illustrator." The counselor rolled her eyes and replied something like, "Yeah, sure." and slapped me in a string of general ed classes. Since that day I've had a lot of jobs in the arts, draftsman, magazine work, clothing designer, art teacher, art director... but always in the back of my mind was a super secret wish.

So now, every morning when I pick up my pencil, I am very grateful and say with all the courage and conviction of a much older nerd mom self, "My name is Marilyn and I am a children's book illustrator.

"I encourage you to see if there is any super secret wish that you've had smushed and shoved away in a closet. Take it out and give it a shake. Be brave. Try the things that you really want to do. You never know where it might take you.

Just so you know, Marilyn is now working on a book for Scholastic.

You should visit her website (she has otter paperdolls and cool things to print out) and her blog.

But The Hushpuppies Were Fantastic

Subversive Cross Stitch has a free chart of a MOM tattoo that Julie insists you can whip up by Sunday.

Check out this beautiful bag. And, I thought I was so talented after sewing a piece of fabric to the back of a cross stitch, stuffing it and yelling to Maggie the dog "Look! I made a little pillow!"

Edited to add: You have to see these gorgeous pillows. Until very recently, all my hankies were kept in a drawer. I'd love to show how I hung a few up but there are still issues with my digital camera and I really do not want to talk about it except to say that Mr. Hewlett and Mr. Packard are now on my shit list.

I had more to post but I somehow closed down AOL in the middle of it and I am too tired to re-type it but I had mentioned this restaurant. And, after reading this, I really regret not getting a marshmallow.

Someone Needs a Spellcheck

I used to have issues with Blogger when I had two blogs here and when I would post to both, the entry on one blog would appear immediately, but the one on the other blog would take a day to show up. I figured I had something set to delay "publishing" but I could never figure out what the problem was. It was frustrating and annoying so I ended up going back to Diaryland.

Well, so far, I haven't had any problems with Blogger except when I log in and see I have a comment that need moderating, as soon as I click to allow it to be posted, I then get an email saying there's a comment awaiting moderation. Isn't that backwards?

And, in other related computer news, I emailed Microsoft last night and told them my printer and camera were not compatible with Windows Vista and asked what Bill Gates was going to do about it. Then I googled the problem and found out that there are drivers that I can download to get the printer, the camera and even the scanner to work. So I'm a happy camper and Bill Gates is off my shit list for now.

And, I broke down and put in a sitemeter. I wasn't going to do that here. When I started blogging before, I was obsessed with checking my stats. Not so much with how many visitors I had, but what keywords they had searched on to get to my blog. Since it was called Tiny Hiney, I got countless hits from people searching on the word "hiney." And, I can't tell you how many of them worked at the Department of Defense or at a military base.

Tiny Hiney was a Chihuahua that I heard about, in case you were wondering where the name came from.

If you ever want to get more hits for your blogs, at some point, use the terms "Hillary Clinton" and "bathing suit" -- it doesn't even have to be in the same post (mine wasn't) -- and I promise your traffic will increase.

Some of the other searches were:

• God, I need a boyfriend,
• why is the Shih Tzu crying
• what happened to the host of What Not to Wear
• rate my Virginia
• Johnny Depp wearing glasses made by
• eating emery boards

(Yes, I kept track for awhile.)

National Wear Your Apron Day is Coming

Over at Apronista, they're saying that The Kitchen Madonna has declared May 14th as National Wear Your Apron Day. She asks "How many fun places are we willing to go to in our aprons?" So tie one on that day, go somewhere, and then post a picture of yourself wearing it on your blog.

To celebrate, NotQuiteJuneCleaver (now there's a great name for a blog!) is having an apron giveaway. You can see a few of the aprons she's made in the past here. How pretty is that first one? Actually, all three are fantastic.

Free Bird Pattern for Redwork

This freebie of a bird and some flowers can be used for redwork or bluework or whichever colors you want to use.

Xmas In July Card Swap

I signed up for a "Christmas in July" blank greeting card swap on Swap-Bot. I always have leftover Xmas cards every year because I always buy new ones every year. Plus I steal cards from my mom, who has an even bigger leftover stash than I do. So this one will be fun.

The second swap I participated in was for greeting cards too. It ended on April 30th and I still haven't received my cards, but maybe they're coming from another country and it will take some time for them to get here. I recently sent a postcard to a woman in Morocco and it took 41 days to get to her.

Here's a cute knitted needlecase that Jox, who sent me some great stuff for the first swap I did, made for another swap.

I Want a Taco

Look at these napkins with cute mexican food that Floresita embroidered. Not only ate they adorable but they make me really want a taco.

This is what really sucks about not having a driver's license: not being able to get in the car when you want to and just go. If I could, I would totally go to Pedro's for a taco and some rice in about nine hours.

I have lost track of how many Mexican restaurants I've passed by in San Juan Capistrano since I moved here last Fall. We keep going to Pedro's though. I couldn't find a website for it but here's a review of it on a blog that I just found through Google. I love that there's a photo of the place I buy postcards in the entry too (it's the building that's south of Pedro's). Hmm, a blogger who reviews Mexican restaurants in Orange County. I think I'll be reading those archives when I have some time.

Great Photo and a Free X-Stitch Pattern

I love this picture! Make sure you look at it full-size.

I really want to do the New England Button Sampler some day. I love the combination of stitching and buttons. There are French knots too but let's not mention them.

Alpha Stamps sells small scissors charms, which could be used for the sampler. (I once bought some scrapbook paper from Alpha Stamps and could probably spend tons of money there if I was able.)

Here's a Heart Yo-Yo Tutorial

I saw that Turkey Feathers linked to the tutorial for making a heart shaped yo-yo the other day. I have been meaning to do that for a few weeks. I have all these emails with links that I sent to myself back when I wasn't able to use my computer because it died and I couldn't save anything, with plans to eventually put them here. I'm afraid that if I post them all in one night, I won't have anything else to write about for a few weeks, so I've been adding them sparingly.

See?

Forwarded Message:
Subj: (no subject)
Date: 4/9/2007 2:08:25 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: NahNahNah
To: NahNahNah

Penny Sanford Porcelains: Pattern for Heart Yo-Yo

Penny Sanford Porcelains is another one of those blogs that I just enjoy looking at. I mean, I read it too, but I'm a geek for flower pictures and cute little doggie pictures, and there are many to see there.

Also, there are tutorials on making Pet Collar Slipcovers. This one has rick-rack and a heart-shaped yo-yo. The others are linked in that entry.

Maggie wears a boring blue collar around the house and a boring black harness is added for walks. I think her collar needs a slipcover with rick-rack and a heart yo-yo on it. Yes, she does.

Women and Dogs Photo Site

Another interesting site with old photos is Women and Dogs, which is full of pictures of women and dogs (duh, Patty) that have been collected by the site's owner [link via Adorablog].

And, in case you missed the link last week, or whenever I posted it, check out Shorpy, the 100 year old photoblog [link via kottke.org]

March/April Tie One On: Rick-Rack

The March/April gallery for Tie One On is up. The theme this time was rick-rack. I love rick-rack. My mom always put it on the clothes she made my sister and me when we were kids. This apron with the bunny is my favorite. I love the fabric on this one and I love this one too. And these are just adorable with that ruffle on the bottom. And this one is neat. (I know what you're thinking: is she going to link to every apron? I just might!)

The Tie One On theme for May/June is The Pocket.

Hello Kitty Wedding Dress

I was going through stuff I had linked on my old diary and I ended up at Girl Hacker which led me this Hello Kitty wedding dress. I love HK as much as the next guy but that is scary.