Wreaths

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greetings From Waco Texas

At the end of September, my sister and I left California with our two dogs and drove to Waco, Texas.  This is where I live now.  (My mom & dad arrived by plane a couple days after we got there.)  More on this move later.

While unpacking boxes, I found my old TUSAL jar.  I don't think I added any threads to it since early 2016.  That's when I first packed up some stuff (including my TUSAL jar) that then went into storage and stayed there until it was finally moved to Texas in late September along with everything else I own. (More on this experience if I feel like venting later on.)

In between packing some stuff up in early 2016 and actually moving to a new house in TX, I lived in an apartment for awhile.  I had floss, needles and hoops with me, and did a little stitching.  I saved my thread ends in a little plastic bag.  Tonight I moved them to a new TUSAL jar.  (I love love love Oui yogurt jars!)

Wow.  That picture sucks.

If you want to know more about the Totally Useless Stitch-a-long, go to this post on It's Daffycat.  It's from 2016 but it will explain everything. 

I have to go to bed.  More later.

Frankie the Safety Pins Keeper

I recently moved and most of my stuff is in storage until I move again, (hopefully that will happen at the end of this month), but one thing I did not pack away is some safety pins because you never know when you will need one.  And, yes, I could go buy some if I needed any in the near future, but the point of this post is I found a neat way to store your safety pins.  Meet Frankie the Safety Pin Keeper.  I love him!  (I'm going to label him as a needlebook even though he technically isn't so I can find him when I'm ready to make one.)
I think he could double as a Halloween decoration too.  

P.S.   I just found this piggy bank on the onelmon blog (home of Frankie).  Must make this too!  

Katrina Memory

After Hurricane Katrina, I was in an online group that reunited animals with their owners.   I've been thinking a lot about that thanks to Harvey.  I wanted to save this post from my old blog.  The links no longer work. Posted on 11/1/05:

I forgot to call the cemetary about the gravedigger. Fortunately, Diane, a nice lady who volunteers at a San Diego-area animal shelter, did.

The Rancho Coastal Humane Society has a Lab Shepherd mix that was rescued from New Orleans. The address where the dog was found wasn't valid so Diane found a street name that was similar and then matched a name to that adddress: Roosevelt McGuire. When she told me his name, I immediately googled it. One of the hits was an article in The Times- Picayune about the city cemetary for the indigent in New Orleans from December 1993, and guess who was quoted? Mr. McGuire, the gravedigger.

Wrapped in body bags and placed in plywood coffins, the dead brought to Potter's Field are allotted one blessing. They are never buried in the rain."We can always wait for good weather 'cause there's never a funeral," said Roosevelt McGuire, a gravedigger at the city cemetery for the unclaimed, unwanted and those whose families are unable to pay for burial. "If it's raining, we just call and tell them at the coroner's office to wait till another day."

I decided to call the cemetary the next morning and ask if Mr. McGuire still worked there. The article nearly 12 years old but you never know.

I went back to my Google results and found a second article, dated 2003, about hogs running wild in the cemetary, and once again, Mr. McGuire was quoted:

But Resthaven caretaker Roosevelt McGuire thinks the hogs are not wild but are the property of someone who owns a business along Old Gentilly Road, a stretch of roadway spotted with car-crushing businesses and junkyards. McGuire said the hogs are more of a nuisance than a danger to bodies living or dead. The beasts are "looking for roots, not bodies," he said. "They couldn't dig up a grave," he said. "But they're messing up the graveyard. I run them out of here every time I see them. We've got to get rid of them."

Not only did he still work there, but he had been promoted.

The plan was to call Resthaven Memorial Cemetary and see if we could get a hold of Mr. McGuire and find out if he owned a dog or not.

Well, Diane called and was told that he had worked there until last December when he became ill. The lady she spoke to wasn't sure if he still lived in his house or had moved into a nursing home. I've looked on the evacuee and the patient locator lists and have not been able to find out any information about him. So, we're kind of at a dead end with this one. No pun intended.

Werewolves of Wild Olive

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

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

I can't wait to get started!

Soft Pretzel Pincushion

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

The Bunny I Made in 2011

In January 2011, a tutorial for a Fluffy*Stuffy Bunny was posted on Allsorts.  I made one in April of that year and blogged about it months later.  I just found a May 2012 draft post with some photos of my bunny. I'm posting that now in case anyone wants to make one for Easter.  Thank you, Jenny, of Allsorts for keeping your blog up so the links still work!

I think my bunny looks more like a bear but I still love her.  Here's my dog, Pumpkin, with my bunnybear.

Number Two Post Of the Year

I posted three times in 2016 and I hope to beat that record this year. Welcome to the second post of 2017.  

While going through my email, I found three things I wanted to share.  I'm not sure how or when I discovered The Spruce but I'm now getting their newsletter.  Looking around their website led me to this cute bunny embroidery from Mollie Johanson of Wild Olive fame.

And, the Printable Hexagon Floss Minder is also from Mollie and on The Spruce.  When I have a lot of floss to use for a project, I make my own floss minders by punching holes in old scraps of cardboard. Mollie's minders are much nicer and neater.  

One more embroidery pattern from Mollie:  Funky Farm Friends

And, if you have some time. check out The Spruce.  There's some neat stuff over there. Not just crafts, but recipes, pet care, and home decor.

I Need Cake!

Hello, I'm Patty, and this is my blog.  Tonight, I'm checking out all the links I have bookmarked, trying to find a recipe for a fruit crisp cobbler.  (I don't know why I titled this post "I Need Cake" because it's a cobbler recipe I need.)  So far, the recipe has not turned up, but there are lots of saved links to stuff I planned to make some day (yeah, right) so I've decided to post them here.  I've also discovered I have about twenty draft posts and I want to clean them out too.

First up, is a wreath made of hankies.  This is a great way to display your hankies if the idea of cutting up and/or sewing them freaks you out.  That would be me.  I think I might be able to cut the ones I've bought at flea markets and thrift stores, but no way could I do that to the ones I stole from my grandmother.  On the other hand, I would totally make a quilt out of my grandmom's hankies.

I really like this idea of a hankie bunting.  All you do is iron them and hang them up. So simple!  And, no cutting hankies!

Every Christmas, I try to make my mom some kind of ice skate ornament.  (When she was a kid, she was obsessed with Sonja Henie.)  Here's a tutorial for making a felt one.

I just like this bat coloring page.

Love this Christmas garland made from pipe cleaners and beads.  

Ok, I need a little break from clicking links.  This is Cha Cha, my last favorite dog at the shelter.  I love her and was ready to sneak her into my car and take her home with me the other day. She was available for adoption but was rescued the other day.  I heard she already has an interested adopter.  

Back to links:  this is a cute hedgehog pincushion.  My friend shares the cutest hedgehog videos and projects with me all the time.   If you love fashion blogs, check hers out at A.k.A. Ms. Smarty Pants. 

I love this little tote for carrying your stitching supplies.  You'll have to click the link for the Embroidery YOU Tote Time, right at the top of this page, to get to the pdf of the pattern. 

Could these felt stockings be any cuter?!  I seriously need to make them.

Here's a felt snowglobe from Bugs and Fishes.

And, one more:  an adorable mini card wallet via Craft Gossip  

I still haven't found the recipe I'm looking for and I have more links to share so I'll be back soon.  

Speaking of Needlebooks

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

Felt Needle Case from Sum of their Stories 

Another Needlebook Pattern

Still going through email and checking links...

I really like this felt needlebook from Simply Vintage Girl.

There are links to that needlebook project and to some others on this Tipnut page.

It's Alive!

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'll be back again soon.

Make A Felt Turkey Times Two

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

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

Gobble gobble!

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

From Old Television To New Dog Bed

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

Here's Pumpkin on her bed:

Cross Stitch Ice Skate

Every Christmas, I make my mom some kind of ice skate ornament for the Xmas tree.  I think I'll make this cross stitch one from Kissy Cross this year.

Back in 2007, I made two biscornus from one of Kirsten's patterns for her Kissy Cross blog.

The tops:

And the bottoms:

You can find the biscornu patterns here.

Chicken Scratch Mini Quilt

One thing I really liked about having a blog was I was able to keep track of links to things I wanted to make someday.  Or at least, think about making someday.  Now, I bookmark links and then forget all about them.  So, here's a cute little chicken scratch mini quilt from Love the Country that has been lost in the bookmark abyss.

Doing a little searching on the Love the Country web site led me to these chicken scratch ornaments.  

Cute Cat Pincushion

This felt cat pincushion over at Bugs and Fishes is adorable!

That's all for now!

February's Post

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One more shot of my card holder in action:

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

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

2015 TUSAL

Yay!  The 2015 Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long is once again underway thanks to Sharon at It's Daffy Cat.  

What is the Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long aka TUSAL, you ask.

Basically, you'll save your orts (that piece of floss you're left with when you're done stitching that's too short to do anything with) in a jar, and every time there is full moon, you'll post a photo of the jar on your blog.  More info here.  Thank you, Sharon,for hosting the TUSAL once again!

The first full moon was January 20 so here is my orts jar (I'm never on time) along with a Valentine bag I started making the other night:

(More on the heart in my next post.  Hopefully, I'll blog again before the year is over.)  (And, I know there is no cross stitching involved but I used embroidery floss to sew the hearts together so in the orts jar it goes.)  (And, yes, I know the red heart is not centered on the pink heart.)

I believe there was only ONE year where I actually posted a picture of my jar every time there was a full moon.  In 2014, I posted pics of my orts jar three times. I'm shooting for four times in 2015.  Go, me!  Really, I'm hoping the TUSAL will get me to not only blog more often but also make more stuff this year.

This was my jar at the end of 2014.  Those are threads from the past few years.  

I'm starting with a new jar for 2015.  

Edited to add:  I have no idea why some of this post is highlighted in white.  I did not do that. Also, I can't get the font to change.

First Post Of 2015, Woo Hoo!

On Halloween night last year, I was bored and looking online for something to make and found a tutorial for making a felt sugar skull sachet at Adventures in Making.  So I made one but without the sachet part.  [Link via Craft Gossip]

I was happy with it until I stitched the teeth.  I tried to do them freehand at first and that did not turn out well so I traced the pattern on to some tissue paper and stitched right over the paper on the felt. This is the second time I've tried that method and once again I was disappointed in the final result. Maybe it's me but when I remove the little bits of tissue paper that get stuck under my stitching, I end up pulling on threads and then it looks like crap.  I'm also not thrilled with the blue whatever-they-are below the eyes.  The tutorial sample had three lines and I did four and I think it's too many.  But hey, at least I finished something.  Alert the media!

The other time I used the tissue paper trick, I made this strawberry scissors keep from Red Brolly last year.  This was another night where I just had this strong urge to make something. Red Brolly's scissors keep is made from fabric but I made mine with felt.  I used floss to make the strawberry's seeds, instead of pearl beads, and did not add a bow at the top because I forgot.  The green is regular felt but the red is super thick felt so the pointy end of my scissors does not poke through.  By the way, while I was making the sugar skull on Halloween, I realized I have the dullest scissors in the world.

I used tissue paper to stitch the embroidery design on the stem and then loosened the threads when I yanked out removed all the little bits of tissue paper.  I think I did a crappy job of removing the tissue paper and it messed up my stitches.  I hate this method.

My scissors keep in action:

After looking at the original, I think it needs that bow on top.  And speaking of cases for keeping your scissors, I love this one from Feeling Stitchy.  Maybe I will make that one the next time I need to make something.