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.)