WIPocalypse February Update

Last summer, I stitched up a free chart called Little Blue Bungalow from Blue Ribbon Designs and did not like some of the colors of floss that I used.  The original was done with floss from Weeks Dye Works but I only had a few colors of WDW (that I bought a few years ago for yet another project I never did) so I went with DMC instead.  Picking out floss colors is always a big deal for me and I always second guess myself afterwards.  This time, I wasn't totally happy with some of my choices and didn't feel like doing it over, so Little Blue Bungalow was stuck in one of the tote bags I have with all my other WIPs and UFOs and pretty much forgotten.

Enter the 2012 WIPocalypse.  While looking in that tote bag for things to finish for the WIPocalypse, I discovered Little Blue Bungalow and decided to rip out what I didn't like about it and re-do it.

Here's the before picture:

And here's the after:

 

I re-did the scrolly orders at the top & bottom, and the line that begins with Y, and the flowers are now pink instead of white.  (If any of the other colors look different than before, it's just my camera.)  I stitched it on 18ct Fiddler's.

Now I have to figure out how to finish it. Which, in my world, is code for "Add some backing fabric, stuff it and there's little ornament #357." (Some day I will do something different and shock you all!)

The Little Blue Bungalow chart is a freebie from Blue Ribbon Designs and can be found on the Weeks Dye Works website.  (Scroll down to the very last link.)

By the way, I've also been working on Ready For the Morning Ride but you still can't see the donkey or the dog so I didn't bother to take a picture this month.

Thanks to Melissa from Measi's Musings for hostiing the 2012 WIPocalypse!

January 2012 TUSAL Update

There's a new moon today so time for my first TUSAL report of the year.  Not a great picture, I know.

What's a TUSAL, you ask.  TUSAL stands for Totally Useless Stitch-a-long and it's hosted by Sharon at It's Daffycat.  Despite the name, there isn't any actual stitching going on.  It's more of bizarre hoarding situation.  (No, not really.)  What you do is toss your floss ends (you may know them as ORTs or thread clippings) into a jar and every time there's a new moon, you share a picture of the jar on your blog.  You can find out more about the 2012 TUSAL over here.

I started with an empty jar for 2012 so all the ORTs in my jar are from this year.  I've been working on a cross stitch called Ready for the Morning Ride plus I decided to re-do some of one called Little Blue Bungalow because I wasn't thrilled with the colors I used so there's lots of leftovers from ripping out stitches in that jar. 

Get Crafty For The Troops And Homeless Dogs

Stitching Corp is a group that started out sending cross stitched Christmas ornaments to the troops and their families, and now they're accepting other handmade items (bookmarks, greeting cards, key rings, bags for wheelchairs & walkers) all year long.  I heard about Stitching Corp via CyberStitchers.com, which has a list of charities that collect cross stitch projects.  By the way, Stitching Corp, has a huge list of sites that offer free x-stitch patterns. 

I have several ornaments started that I should add to my 2012 WIPocalypse list so I can finish them and send to Stitching Corp.

This was posted back in October 2011 but they need bags for 500 dogs so I'm guessing it's an ongoing project.  Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in England is calling on sewing crafters to make scented bags to hang in their dogs' kennels to keep them calm while they wait for new homes.  You can find out more about making the bags and get a pattern for a Staffordshire Bull Terrier to put on them here.

Did you know that a group of kittens is called a kindle?  I just read that on the Battersea website. I also found a few dogs I want to adopt.  Did I mention they're located in England?  In 2010, they celebrated their 150th anniversary.  Wow!

It's Drafty In Here

Why do I have a bunch of draft posts?  Oh yeah.  It's because I am really good at starting things and never finishing them. 

Let's see what links are hanging out in my draft posts . . .

From the Make-It-For-Christmas-2012 file: Gingerbread Cottage has a super cute embroidery pattern.  And here's a felt hedgehog ornament from Totally Stitchin' that I'm also going to add to my Hedgehogs-To-Make-Some-Day list.

Speaking of hedgehogs, this hedgehog cross stitch freebie from JB Cross Stitch is new-to-me thanks to the cross stitch blog at Craft Gossip.   By the way, JB Cross Stitch has some cute charts for sale, in addition to more freebies.

I love, love, love this embroidered needlecase from Goosie Girl's and I've had the pattern for awhile but I don't think I ever linked to it before.

Over at Leslie's Art and Sew, there's a sewing pattern and tutorial for a mystery critter.  You can sew one up and then make a face on it any way you want and add anything else too  [link via The Toy Society blog].

How about a felt pincushion from Jenny of Elefantz?  I like this one because it has appliqued fabric flowers on it.   And, it's all hand sewn.

There's an embroidery pattern for a cute mini-sampler (with birds, flowers, alphabet) that's finished in a hoop at Patchwork Posse [link via Denise at Craft Gossip].

Did you know there's an embroidery section on about.com with stitch diagrams, free patterns and lots of information on tools, supplies and techniques?  There is!

Major Cute Alert!  Look at this adorable mushroom needlebook that my friend Loralynn at My Art, My So Called Life just linked to.  She also had a link to the fun Random Tutorial Generator. 

And, if you're like me and like to see classic movie stars and their four-legged friends, here are a couple of fun posts from I Can Has Cheezburger: part 1 and part 2.

Pardon me while I go make something!

WIPocalpyse Check-in Post #1

There was a Full Moon on January 9th so time for the very first 2012 WIPocalpyse update.

To be honest, I have a ton of unfinished cross stitch and embroidery projects that I haven't touched in months but there is one that I have been regularly working on for three months now.  I'm determined to finish it so it's on my list for the 2012 WIPocalypse. Back in September, Artecy Cross Stitch had a free pattern of a painting called Ready for the Morning Ride that I really liked because it was of a donkey and a dog.  (It's available for sale on their site now.)  Even though it was not my usual kind of x-stitch, (I like the quickies that I can turn into little ornaments), I decided to do this one.  I'm using 18ct Aida so it's going to be 13" X 9" when it's finished.  (Sounds like someone is going to get a really big ornament!)

Here's a picture of it I took on January 3rd.

And here's how it looks as of today.  I know it doesn't look like it but I swear there really will be a donkey and a dog in there!

If you'd like to join the 2012 WIPocalypse, go go Measi's Musings and read all about it.  Remember you have until January 15, 2012 to become an official participant and qualify for a prize at the end of the year, but you can join at anytime.

Thank You, Blogger!

Am I the only one who is thrilled to see that Blogger now lets you choose if you want your links to open in a new window? 

THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT, BLOGGER!!

Now if they could just get me to blog more often.

WIPocalypse 2012 List

I'm supposed to make a list of UFOs & WIPs (cross stitch projects that have been started and either abandoned or are currently being worked on) that I plan to finish this year for the 2012 WIPocalypse.  I still need to go through what I have but I know of a few that I really would love to get finished this year:

1.  Ready for the Morning Ride from Artecy Cross Stitch-- I started this in September and have been working on it since.  It will be 12" X 9" when it's completed so it will take awhile but I like stitching it.

2.  Halloween ornament for um . . . someone -- Started this in 2009 for a blog friend.  I need to re-stitch "2012" on it and add some backing fabric and stuff it.

3.  Scottie pillow -- Not a cross stitch but I'm putting it on the list because it's my first real attempt at applique, and dang it, it's cute and needs to get done.

4.  Three little dog x-stitch freebies that I did when my knee was broken (the second time).  I may turn them into a needlecase but haven't decided yet.

I know I have a few more to add but this will do for now.  Having a short list makes me feel like I may actually finish all four of these by the end of the year. 

If you would like to join the 2012 WIPocalpyse, hosted by Melissa of Measi's Musings, go here.  By the way, sign-ups will close on January 15th so get over there now!

My Final TUSAL Report

Time for my final TUSAL ort report of 2011!  Woohoo!  I can't believe I actually stuck with it this time.  This is the third year I started the Totally-Useless-Stitch-A-Long (aka the TUSAL) and the first time I made it all the way to the end.  In 2010, I didn't even make it past January.  But this year, I posted pictures of my orts jar all year long. Pardon me while I run outside to see if pigs are flying.

Thank you to Sharon over at It's Daffycat for hosting the 2011 TUSAL!!

If saving your thread ends, adding them to a clear jar of some kind and sharing a picture of that jar on your blog on the new moon (usually once a month but sometimes there are two new moons in one month) sounds like fun to you, consider joining the 2012 TUSAL.  All the details are here on It's Daffycat. 

By the way, I find it very odd that my jar is nearly full yet I haven't finished many cross stitch or embroidery projects this year.  I have a bunch that are half-done or nearly done but hardly any finishes. 

And, as much as I would like to claim I did, I did not make that hedgehog.  It came with a book, The Hat by Jan Brett, that my sister got me a few years ago when I was going through my hedgehog phase.

Join WIPocalypse 2012

You know how the world is supposed to end in December 2012?  Well, here's some motivation for to get you to finish all those WIPs and UFOs before it's all over and done with.  Go to this post on Measi's Musings for all the info on WIPocalypse 2012.

I had to join this because I have so many things that need to be finished but I'll wait until January to get started.  First, I have to figure out what I'm making for Christmas this year.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

Occupy Your Sewing Room

Click for more details!

[Link via the Quilting blog at Craft Gossip]

A Year With Pumpkin

Oh no, I almost forgot to post about Pumpkin.  Today is her Gotcha Day.  Actually, both Lucy and Pumpkin were adopted on December 1st last year but Pumpkin had to stay at the shelter to be spayed so she didn't move in until December 3rd.  I sometimes call her Chunkin Punkin, which has nothing to do with catapulting pumpkins across an open field but because she needs to lose some weight.  OK, now I feel bad about calling her that.  But Pumpkin wags her tail no matter what you call her.  Just don't call her late for dinner. 

One Year With Lucy

Today is Lucy's Gotcha Day.  Since we don't know her actual birthday, we celebrate the day she was adopted and that was December 1st, 2010.  Here's a picture of Lucy from last January with my empty orts jar.  (Actually, that's not the jar I ended up using.)  She looks like she has a beard.  It's been an interesting year.  At one point, I didn't think we could keep Lucy but things are so much better now and she has turned out to be a great dog.  Ok, she is still a little nuts but we love her so much.

Happy Gotcha Day, Lucy!

November Ort Report AKA TUSAL Update

Hello from the kitchen table!  I am so not used to this and still not sure if I like it but here I am on a laptop in the kitchen.  And there's Mark Harmon on the TV across the room.  An episode of "NCIS" that I've probably already seen 15 times.  Now, let's see if I can find the picture I took of my orts jar.

Eureka! 

For those of you who just tuned in, an orts jar is where I save my floss ends.  You know the pieces of embroidery thread that are too short to use anymore.  I throw them in the jar and then every month around the time of the new moon, I post a picture of my orts jar for the 2011 Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long aka TUSAL.  And that's the one for November.  Only one more photo to go for the year.  I've been using the same jar all year and the thing I can't figure out is why my jar is nearly full yet I have so few completed cross stitch and embroidery projects.  Obviously, the neighbors are sneaking in at night and dumping their orts in my jar.

Want to join the 2012 TUSAL?  This isn't a contest.  It's just a fun thing to do on your blog.  I've started it three times and twice I never got past posting a February picture.  I'm amazed I've just about made it through the entire year this time.  When I thought I couldn't use my old camera with this lap top, I was bummed I wouldn't be able to post any TUSAL pictures for the last few months of 2011.  Anyway, Sharon over at It's Daffycat is the host of the TUSAL and she is now taking sign-ups for 2012.  Check out this post for all the details.  Please join -- it's fun! 

October TUSAL Update

Yeah, I know it's November 12 so it's a little late to post a TUSAL picture for October but I just found out that plugging my old camera into my sister's laptop will prompt Windows to automatically download a driver so the camera works with the computer. Who knew? Apparently, not HP.   Anyway, here's a not-so-good picture of the current state of my orts jar.  Complete with a scratched up desk.

To find out more about the TUSAL aka the Totally-Useless-Stitch-A-Long, check out It's Daffy Cat.  Sharon will soon be taking sign-ups for TUSAL 2012.

It's dark and rainy here today but now that I know I can still use my camera, I'll get some pictures of what I'm working on as soon as it the sun comes out again.

Calling All Geeks

Update:  Happy news -- I plugged my camera into the lap top and it automatically downloaded a driver so I can still use my camera.  Yay!  Thank you to Jenn, fullnovembermoon and Susan for your help!

So my computer couldn't be fixed.  Which really is not a big deal because I hated it.  It used to do this weird thing where it would lapse into a coma if I left it alone for 12 minutes.  Or 37 minutes.  It was never consistent.  You know how your computer will go to sleep after awhile and then you jiggle the mouse to wake it up?  Well, mine never woke up.  The light was on behind the darkened screen but no one was home.  From stuff I read on Google, there were other people with this same problem -- people with laptops and desktops from different manufacturers -- and guess what we all had in common?  Windows Vista.  I used to curse Bill Gates nearly every day.  Even though I doubt he had anything to do with Vista.


The good news is the tech guy was able to save all my pictures, my 14,987 embroidery patterns, and my iTunes. He pulled out the hard drive and transferred everything to a laptop.  This laptop has Windows 7 and the bad news there isn't a Windows 7 driver for my camera because it's too old.  I had to download drivers from Microsoft for my camera, scanner and printer to get them to work with Vista.  Apparently, I can't do this for Windows 7.


I haven't starting Googling yet but does anyone know if there are other places besides Microsoft to get drivers for things like older cameras so you can use them with Windows 7?  I might need to call Leo Laporte.


For now, my blog will be photo-free since I can't upload anything to the laptop.  So that means you won't be able to see all the lovely projects the one embroidery I've finished over the past few weeks.  And I couldn't post an October picture for the TUSAL. 

I'm off to cross stitch something that you'll probably never see. Have a good week!

It's Owl Calendar Time

Get your printer fired up because it's time to make your 2012 owl calendar.

 

(Click me)

Thank you, My Owl Barn!!

Random Photo Thursday

The other night, I finished the Halloween embroidery for the September Stitch-A-Long on Feeling Stitchy.  I'd love to show you a picture of it but I can't download any photos right now because my computer has stopped working.  I can turn it on but then it tells me my registry is corrupt and that it hates me.  From what I've learned through Google, it can be fixed but that will involve making a slave of my hard drive (or something like that) so I don't lose any files, and I know that should be left to the professionals, so hopefully I can find one of them to fix it soon.  I'm using my sister's computer (thank you, Susan!) and it's been loads of fun trying to remember passwords so I can log into Facebook and Blogger and AOL.  Does anyone know why my Gmail user name is my AOL email address?  Shouldn't it just be my name?  I'm confused.  Anyway, since I can't show you my SAL embroidery, (which I will soon be turning into a pillow), please enjoy a picture that shows you how many emails I had a week ago.  Either I'm really popular or just really bad about answering my email.


And look at this cute ghost garland from Ginger & George.  I need to make one of those!

Cute Cute Cute Cottage Door Hanger

Awhile ago, Sara from The Split Stitch posted a tutorial for the cutest little cottage door hanger.  It's applique and she used Heat'n Bond so I'm adding it to my list of things to make because I heart the Heat'n Bond.  Have you met Heat'n Bond yet?  I love it so much, I'm ready to marry it.

Download Pumpkin Stencils For A Good Cause

If you download a pumpkin stencil from Better Homes and Gardens, a $2 donation will be made to one of these charities:  March of Dimes, Rebuilding Together, Big Brothers Big Sisters or Susan G Komen for the Cure.  Go here for more information.

The September ORT Report

I totally forgot there was a new moon the other day and I didn't want another day to go by without a picture of my orts jar for the TUSAL so here ya go:

The black and white thing in the background is Lucy, asleep on my desk, and the "spooky" is the embroidery I'm working on right now.  It's for the September SAL on Feeling Stitchy. Obviously, I did not do much stitching on it.

I'm going rogue and skipping linking to anything tonight so if this post confuses you, go Google "TUSAL" and/or "It's Daffycat" and all will be explained.  Maybe.

Good night!

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week

I know I tend to go on and on and on about adopting dogs, especially on Facebook, but I can't help it.  About ten years ago, I was a volunteer for a dog rescue and I had to go to local animal shelters to check on Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus, Pomeranians and other small breeds, that were being considered for the rescue.  (Now that I think about it, unless they were adopted or pulled by another rescue group, we pretty much took all of the ones I went to see.)  I was new to visiting shelters -- my dogs had all been pet store puppies from friends so I had never been to animal control -- and seeing so many dogs waiting for homes was so sad.  There were just too many and not enough people to adopt them or enough rescue groups to save them.   And, knowing many of them would end up being put down broke my heart.

As you can imagine, some dogs are more "adoptable" than others.  Older animals and those that are blind or deaf have a tougher time finding a home.  I was told many times by rescuers that the least adopted dogs were the big black ones.  This week, September 17 through September 25, has been designated Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet-Week by Petfinder to promote animals that are harder to place.  Petfinder is a wonderful website you can use to search for a dog, or cat, or hamster, guinea pig, turtle, bunny, etc. that's up for adoption in your area.)

 

You can be a part of ALAPW by posting animals that are in need of homes on your blog, Facebook or Twitter.  Read more about that here. 

And, if you live in Ohio and are looking to adopt a small dog, please check out a couple of seniors that need homes:

Ripley

and Ollie 

If only I could take them both!

Edited to add Blog Hop code.

Feeling Stitchy Contest

 

Feeling Stitchy is holding a fun contest called Covered in Stitches. To enter, stitch a book cover that's either based on the real cover of any book or come up with your own design.  You can embroider it, cross stitch it, crewel it, etc., on any fabric, of any size.  (Crewel is not a verb, is it?)  Click the graphic above to get all the details.

September 11, 2011

I was still asleep when the planes flew into the towers but I woke up in time to see the first tower fall.  I don't remember crying much back then.  I think at first I was too stunned that this had happened and I was scared, and then I was just horrified for those people on the planes and in the buildings.

We watched TV for hours and hours.  It broke my heart to see people walking around the streets of New York with pictures of family members and friends who were missing.  Didn't leave the house until two days later only because I had to take my dog to the vet to get her spay stitches out.  It wasn't until I was eating dinner that night that it hit me that it was my birthday.

I've found it really difficult to watch specials on TV about 9/11 this week.  I start crying, which happens often when I watch sad things on television, but then I find myself having to get up and walk away.  It's like I can't bear to see any of it, even if it's just people remembering about that day.  There's a song by Bruce Springsteen that he wrote about the firefighters who went into the towers to save people.  I wanted to post a video of it here today.  The first version I found on You Tube starts off with photos of the World Trade Center towers as they once were.  Then there are pictures of flames and smoke coming out of the buildings and I realized I couldn't watch the video any longer.  I think I'm crying more now than I did ten years ago.

"Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children."
– President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

The sky was falling and streaked with blood
I heard you calling me then you disappeared into the dust
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

 – Bruce Springsteen, Into the Fire

Works In Progress...Sort Of

I'm not quite sure what happened but I could only find one picture of a pillow I'm working on. It's my first attempt at applique the right way -- I used Heat n Bond on my Scottie dog cut outs and then blanket stitched them to the pillow cover.  This other time, I sewed an embroidered piece on to the top of a wool case for my iPod but I had no idea what I was doing and didn't use Heat N Bond or turn the edge under or anything like that so it doesn't count as applique.  Anyway, I'm close to finishing this pillow.  The pattern and idea came from Bustle and Sew.

Every two weeks, Artecy shares two free cross stitch patterns, and after seeing the one with a donkey and a dog and finding I had a large enough piece of Aida this afternoon, I decided to stitch it.  I have the very upper left corner done so far and I can tell this one is going to be a challenge.  It will be 12" X 9" when it's finished -- I hardly ever stitch anything that big -- and I used five different colors of floss today and I swear they are all various shades of grayish beige.  If you click that link after September 8th, you won't see the donkey and dog cross stitch because there will be two new free charts available but you can probably find it for sale on the site.  It's called Ready for the Morning Ride by John Emms.  Looks like he painted a lot of dogs and horses in his time.  I know nothing about fine art but hey, I like dogs and horses.  And donkeys.

The "sort of" in the post title has to do with the Hallowe'en Trio stitch-a-long over at Feeling Stitchy.  I know I'm going to do it; I just haven't started yet.  I have to get moving though since it's a SAL for September and we're already a week into the month.

Ok, I am now going to work on my donkey and dog cross stitch and make a bunch of grayish beige X's until I get bored.

Vote Early! Vote Often!

Ok, you can only vote once but if you read this before 11:59 PM PST Sunday September 4, please go here and vote for Belinda's quilt block.  The poll is in the right sidebar.  You won't have to register or anything -- just vote!  Thank you!  (And, if you've already voted earlier in the week, you can vote again now since it's down to these three finalists.) 

Belinda is the designer behind Blue Ribbon Designs and I love her cross stitch charts.  Plus she's a very nice person.  :)

Nothing To Do With Duran Duran

So, it's time for another new moon (on Monday) and that means I need to share another picture of my orts jar for the TUSAL aka the Totally Useless Stitch-a-long. 

Next to my orts jar, are a couple of embroideries that recently did.  They are part of a set so I still have three more to do.  (I'll tell you more about them in my next post.)

Thanks to Sharon over at It's Daffycat for hosting the TUSAL!

Finished For Friday: Little Blue House

Disclosure:  I finished this cross stitch about a month ago so I didn't actually work on this recently, and I still need to turn it into something (An ornament? A little pillow?  Something I've never ever made before so pigs will fly?).  Oh and looks like I need to iron it too.  But I wanted to share it for Finished For Friday because it's been way too long since I did one of those.

The chart was another freebie from Maryse. I had it in my stash for a couple of years and finally got around to stitching last month.

Head on over to Lit and Laundry to add a link for something you've been working on this week.

Pincushion Finish

I finished this pincushion about a month ago but put off blogging about it since I didn't have the pattern handy and couldn't link to it since I don't remember where it came from.  (I still don't know what I did with the pattern but I will find track it down.)

I have two tote bags full of "works in progress" and when I found this pincushion, all that was left to be done was stuffing it.  I had already done the blanket stitching all around and left an opening for filling it.  (Stuffing?  Filling?  Now I'm thinking about Thanksgiving...)  So I stuffed it and closed the opening but got into trouble when I tied a knot in the end of the thread and it was too far away from the seam to be hidden.  Frustrating!  I removed all the blanket stitching and took out the stuffing and started over except I whip stitched it this time. That's a stitch I suck at but since the floss matches the felt, you really can't tell.  At that point, I just wanted to finish it.

I don't think the original pattern called for so many French knots.  Maybe I was on a roll and just could not stop making them.  I used regular craft felt for the flower and the leaves, but the brown pieces -- they look really dark in these pictures -- came from a wool jacket that I felted in my washer a couple of years.  The corners are wonky and that pink looks really bright in the first picture but I'm happy with my little semi-wool pincushion.

One more thing:  I just saw this Little Pup linked over at Tipnut (click that for more softie links) and was reminded I've always wanted to make one.

Blog Hopping On Saturday Night

Here's yet another draft post that I never finished.  Enjoy!

Tonight, I'm catching up on some of my favorite blogs.

Sew Tara and Wild Olive have teamed up to make some super cute fabric bags for snacks (goldfish crackers, carrots & celery, cookies).  [Link via Craft.]

What a cute cloudy needlebook from Art Threads!  [Via Craft Gossip]

There are lots of cute (yes, I've used cute three times already.  Let the drinking game begin!) embroidery freebies over at Hudson's Holidays.  Like this kitty in the flowers and in the garden, and my favorite, a bunny pulling a wagon with bunnies in it.  [Via Craft Gossip]

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.

Pets On Quilts Show

Insights From SewCalGal is hosting the 2nd Annual Pets on Quilts Show on her blog starting today, August 15th, through August 19th.  I apologize for not mentioning this sooner so there would be time left to whip up a quilt to enter, but it will still be fun to see the pictures of both pet-themed quilts and pets on quilts. 

SewCalGal is also collecting photos of pets on quilts to create a calendar that will be used as a fundraiser for local animal shelters.  She will be accepting pics until September 1st for the 2012 calendar.  Her contact information is at the bottom of this post.

Now, go see the pictures on Lit and Laundry of some cute kitties on and under their quilts.

Dala Horse Craftalong

Carina's Craftblog is hosting a craftalong for Swedish Dala horses. 

I love Dala horses.  I know somewhere in my stash, I have a pattern to make a stuffed one but I love the applique pattern Carina shared and then turned into a pincushion.  She also sells an embroidery pattern -- it's in the blog button above-- that I must buy some day.

The craftalong will be over on August 21st but you can join anytime and add your Dala horse to the Flickr group.  Check out some of the ones already posted.  I swear after seeing them, you will be inspired to make your own.

Cute Embroidery Stitch-A-Long

There's a cute stitch-a-long going on over at Clover & Violet.  It's about halfway over and blocks 1-5 are up already but I think you can catch up.  You can find all the details here, including stitch tutorials and the supplies you will need to make the quilt.  I love looking at the pictures in the Flickr group.  Thanks to Flickr member shawnlorette for finding this SAL.

Scottie Embroidery Patterns At Tip Nut

There are some days of the week embroidery patterns with Scottie dogs over at Tipnut.

Toto From The Wizard Of Oz

Thanks to For The Love Of Dog Blog, I just read this very interesting post at Hollywoodland about Toto from The Wizard of Oz and her trainer, Carl Spitz.  Toto was originally called Terry and made a bunch of movies that I now want to watch so I can look for her. And, did you know she was paid more money than the Munchkins were?

Toto had been buried at Carl Spitz's dog training school but her grave was destroyed when the Ventura Freeway was built through the San Fernando Valley.  A memorial marker for the pup was recently unveiled at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and you can read all about that here.

By the way, this was my first visit to Hollywoodland and I think I need to spend some time there.  Lots of interesting stuff about old Hollywood (and new) on that blog.

New Moon On Saturday

Did you know there are two new moons in July?  Tonight is the second one so that means it is time for another TUSAL update. 

What is a TUSAL?  TUSAL stands for Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long and for this stitch-a-long, all you need to do is throw your leftover floss (aka thread ends) into a jar or container and share a picture of it every month on the date of the new moon. Or around the date of the new moon, if you're like me and never on time.

I planned to be on time today and even took pictures of my jar this morning.  And then I forgot all about posting one of the pictures until now.  At least it is still July 30th on the West Coast.

Thanks to Sharon at It's Daffycat for hosting the TUSAL 2011.

That teddy bear cross stitch is my latest project.  I finished the stitching a little while after I took this picture except for a few  X's around the eyes that I'll do after I find a similar shade of floss since I don't have the one recommended in the chart.  It's a freebie from a French blog and I'll post a link to it as soon as I track it down again.

Summer Cottage

I hope the title of this post doesn't make anyone think I was going to blog about my summer cottage or a summer cottage that I know of.  I wish I had one to write about!  It's just the name of my latest cross stitch finish.  It's another UFO I recently found in one of two tote bags sitting on my bedroom floor.  All the stitching had been completed last summer.  I just added the year and a backing fabric to make YET ANOTHER LITTLE PILLOW.  (Seriously, I have to do something different next time.)  I believe I used all the suggested floss colors and stitched it on 18 ct Fiddler's.


Sorry you can't really see the tree on the right side.  The fur surrounding the top half of the little pillow belongs to my dog, Pumpkin.  She enjoys modeling my projects.  Lucy, on the other hand, tends to chew on everything.  As a result, Lucy is banned from my photo shoots.

The chart is a freebie from Les grilles de Maryse.  There was one for each season and I was certain I had stitched the others but I can't find the Autumn one.  Here's the Winter one from 2007 and Spring from 2008.

The free charts:   Spring  Summer  Fall  and  Winter.

My plan is to finish at least a few more UFOs from that tote bag before I start anything new but after looking at the freebies on Maryse's blog, I'm reminded of another one I've always wanted to stitch.  I have a feeling I'll be starting that very soon.  Have a great weekend!

Animal Planet's Casting Couch

From Animal Planet's June 30, 2011 email newsletter:

Animal Planet is casting for a new show about the relationship between people and animals.

We are looking for stories about how an animal, like a pet, may have turned someone's life around or helped someone in an extraordinary fashion.

For more info, go here.

July TUSAL Report

Of course I missed posting a Totally Useless Stitch-a-long aka TUSALupdate once again.  This month, the new moon was on the first so I'm a few days late.  But did you know July has two new moons?  (Thank you, Sharon, for that bit of info.)  My goal is to post my next update on time on July 30th.  So hell can freeze over.

I just took four pictures of my ORTs jar and here's the best one.  This is the current state of my jar of thread ends.

Thanks to Sharon at It's Daffycat for hosting the TUSAL 2011!

Last night I finished a WIP (it's a felt pincushion that I totally forgot about), and have also been working on a cross stitch that will most likely grow up to be an Xmas ornament.  I recently told myself that no new projects will be started until I finish a few I've already started and have actually been sticking to that.  I'll wait until there's more daylight to take some pictures of them. 

Some Links I Should Have Posted Awhile Ago

I guess I was saving these up for a rainy day.  Or something.

I love this felt dahlia brooch from Not Martha.  Not Martha was one of the first craft blogs I ever read.  I always wanted to make these marble magnets (from 2006).  Sad to say, they are still on my to-do list.

Another felt pin I really like is this felt poinsettia pin from Lil Fish Studios.

Every house I've lived in California except this one has had at least one bougainvillea so I was excited to see this tutorial for a felt bougainvillea garland from Art Threads.  I totally need to make that.

And, a few more before I go.

Tipnut's pincushion pattern list #1 and #2 (I need to go through these)

Grandfather mushroom embroidery pattern from Little Dear Tracks (I somehow missed this one last June)

Potholder eyeglass case from Zakka Life 

Vintage hankie pillow covers at Elsie Marley

My First Finish Of 2011

As I was typing the title of this post, I wondered if I had actually finished anything this year, other than what I was about to write about.  I know I've started a few things and still have a zillion other things already in progress, but really, do I have any other finishes for 2011?  I don't think so.

 I did all the cross stitch on this little reindeer last year.  He was then turned into an ornament (shocker!) but I was running low on poly-fill (or whatever it is that I usually use) and he wasn't fat enough for me.  So I unstuffed him and re-stuffed him some time earlier this year.  And I am just now posting about it. 

I most likely stitched him on 18 ct white or off-white Aida. I filled in all the background to cover up the white or off-white Aida. You can find the free chart for the little reindeer here.

Wordless Wednesd...Oh Never Mind

I just can't do wordless.  If I could, I would just post this picture and go back to reading blogs but I just cannot shut up about anything I put here. 

Sometimes I sit on my unmade bed and show Lucy how to blanket stitch two felt circles together but she never pays attention.  She is way more interested in looking out the window.



That's actually part of that strawberry penny rug (from Creative Breathing) I'm working on.  I'm still embroidering the separate pieces and not ready to sew it all together yet.  Hopefully, I'll get it finished before strawberry season ends.  In 2012.

Speaking of the Creative Breathing blog, Elizabeth has posted two cute Good Morning/Good Evening bird embroidery patterns over there. 

So many patterns, so little time.

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.

June TUSAL Update

This is my TUSAL jar as of this afternoon.  I've been working on a cross stitch so I finally had some thread to add to my jar, plus I found some leftover floss on a few homemade cardboard thread holders that I no longer needed so I threw that in there too.

I really thought I was finished with the Little Blue Bungalow cross stitch but I was looking at some pictures of it and noticed I didn't stitch the centers of the flowers so it's still a WIP for now.

The chart is a freebie from Blue Ribbon Designs and you can find it on the Weeks Dye Works Free Designer Charts page.  (It's the very last one on the page.)  Since I only have a brown and black WDW floss, I picked out my own DMC colors, which is always a big deal for me.   I'm not sure if I'm happy with what I chose.  I could blame it on the bad lighting in the photo but it is hard to see some of the colors on that fabric (Fiddlers 18 ct) in person too so I may re-do the parts I don't like.

Update:  I just looked at the finish of the original version and decided I hate mine.  Ok, I don't hate it but I am not happy with the floss colors I used.  Some of those blues are too light and you can barely see the white and pink flowers.  I may just start this one over from scratch and use some different colors..

Cute Little Felt Bird

It's after midnight and here I am checking links to tutorials and finding stuff I want to make.  Right this very second.  This cute little felt bird from paper-and-string is one of them.  Link via Tipnut.

May TUSAL Update

Last night I posted this picture on Facebook and then forgot all about putting it here for the May TUSAL update. In case you're just tuning in, TUSAL stands for Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long, which isn't a real stitch-a-long but one where we post a monthly photo of our ORTs jar.  At the end of the year, some lucky participant will be rewarded with fabulous prizes. And, if that doesn't make you want to start saving your thread ends and tossing them into a glass jar (or bowl or Ziploc bag like I did last month), I don't know what will).  Unfortunately, it's too late to join the 2011 TUSAL but there's always next year.

So there's my ORTs jar along with a cross stitch I'm working on and some yo-yos I've recently made.  I'll post the link to the x-stitch chart next time I blog.   And at the rate I'm going, that might not be until June.

Thanks to Sharon for hosting the 2011 TUSAL.