I love this cute little love heart pillow from Lynn B [link via Craft Gossip].
Well, I'm still sitting at my computer, trying to get caught up with some blog reading.
Over at The Inkling Network is a tutorial to make a cute little baby owl brooch link via The Owl Barn.
And, now it's time for a rant: Why can't Blogger set it up so that each link opens in a new window?!?! God, this annoys me.
Also for Blogger: why won't links work in preview mode anymore? Maybe I'm the exception but I like to check my links before hitting Publish to make sure they work AND open in a new window and now I can't do that.
Ok, I feel better now.
UPDATE 9/24/15: I can't believe I am doing this. I'm updating this post from January 2011 because the link for the tutorial for the cute owl brooch no longer works. THIS IS WHY WE SHOULD ALWAYS PRINT EVERYTHING OUT!!
You can find the link to the owl brooch tutorial as of 9/24/2015 here.
I just read over at Craft Gossip that Aimee Ray is doing an embroidery stitch-a-long over at Lark Crafts and thought if only I could transfer some patterns using the stick-your-design-in-the-window-and-trace-it-with-a-pencil method right now and then I realized it wasn't 2 AM like it usually is when I'm online but only 2:30 PM and really sunny out (and 79 degrees!) so I should get up from this chair and go trace some patterns on to my fabric.
OMG, the free patterns are so cute! You can read more about the SAL on this post.
Today in the New Moon so here's a picture of my 2011 ORTs jar for the Totally UselessStitch-A-Long. The jar is on the left. The dog on the right is Lucy. It's Lucy's and Pumpkin's fault that my jar is empty because I haven't embroidered or cross stitched since these two were adopted about a month ago. I've showered a few times and once I cut my toenails but other than babysitting the two little darlings, there isn't much else going on with me right now.
Wow, my second post of the day. And year. How unlike me.
Remember the Totally Useless Stitch A Long aka TUSAL? I started it last year and then abandoned it at some point. (It was February. How sad is that?) Which makes no sense because it's fun and brainless. (Just like I like my men. Har, har.) You don't even have to stitch anything. All you need to do is save your floss ends or ORTs, stick them in a jar and share a picture of it once a month, on the day of the new moon.
Yoyo, who used to organize it, has disappeared from Blog Land (I hope she's ok, she was a nice lady) but the wonderful Sharon over at It's Daffycat has stepped in to be the official keeper of the TUSAL. If you want to join in, go leave some Sharon comments on this post. Make sure you do it before the 4th of January because that's not only the first day to post a picture of your jar, but you will also qualify to win fabulous prizes at the end of the year if you post every month.
Here's a picture of my TUSAL jar as of last February. It's now full so I plan to start a new one and share a photo of it on every New Moon, even if it's always empty because I have two canine toddlers who never let me do anything but supervise them.
And, now I am off to make minestrone soup. And babysit the devil dogs.
I started on this last night and didn't get to finish because I had to put two dogs to bed. I swear, this is like having toddlers.
Happy New Year to my three faithful readers!! I hope your holidays were merry and bright, and your New Year's Eve hangover is gone by the time you read this. I figured I'd get in a little blogging while the dogs are napping at my feet. (Yes, Virginia, Ambien does work on dogs.)
Little Miss Shabby is doing a cute embroidery block-of-the-month called Birdie Stitches. You can see the layout for the quilt here and the supply list here. The first block is up on this post.
I love this embroidery freebie of Lulu and her dog, Bear, from Gina at Spot Colors.
That reminds me: I have one little dog who you take out and tell her to "go potty" and she does exactly that. I have another little dog who likes to poop on the pile of pattern printouts on my bedroom floor and then eat it. Lovely. Maybe she's telling me to put those patterns away. Actually, she has only done this once. The pooping on my papers part, not the eating part. She hasn't eaten her last two poops though so maybe she is getting over it.
I'd like to thank anyone who has continued to read this post up until this post.
Over at Tipnut, is a list of links to tutorials to make 24 softies. If I ever get a chance, I will actually go through that list. And, then pigs will fly.
Did anyone watch the Rose Parade? I had it on earlier and realized we (my sister, her friend and I) went to see it in person 31 years ago when I was 16. Frank Sinatra was the Grand Marshal. It amazes me how it never seems to rain during the parade. According to Bob Eubanks, it has rained twice for the parade (I honestly don't remember that) and both times they had a Supreme Court Justice as the Grand Marshal. Interesting.
I do believe my blogging, crafting, reading and cleaning days are temporarily over for now.
(I crossed off cleaning since I do believe picking up dog poop and dealing with wet-from-pee newspapers counts as cleaning.)
Yes, there are two new little doggies at my house and all I have been doing for about ten days now is babysitting them.
It's so fun! (Except for the part where one is jealous of the other and there's a lot of growling or the part where one wants to play and the other doesn't understand and there's a lot of growling. Anyone have a number for dog trainer Victoria Stilwell?)
The taller but skinnier of the two, Lucy, will not stop moving long enough for me to get a clear picture of her so I've posted a video of her made by some wonderful shelter volunteers (they called her Minnie). I've also put up the video of Pumpkin (they called her Rosie). You can see both in the two previous posts.
Merry Christmas to me!!
Meet my other new doggie, Pumpkin. (The shelter volunteers called her Rosie.)
All I want to do is go to bed so I'm going to post a link to a post on Average Jane Crafter and ask that you please go read it and then vote for Rachel. She embroidered the moon in a really cool way and now she's entered in the 2010 Space Craft Contest presented by Etsy and NASA. Yes, that NASA. Read all about by clicking the link posted above.
Goodnight!
I am just about finished with my felt sampler Christmas tree from Inspired Ideas magazine so I'm thinking about my next project. Decisions, decisions!
Little Birdie Plush from A Beautiful Mess
Puppy Pal (scroll down to the bottom of the post) from Turkey Feathers
Owl Hexie Ornament of the Week from Bee Tree Designs (make sure you check all the free patterns there)
Festive Felt Christmas Trees from All Sorts
Christmas deer and fox felt applique from Bustle & Sew
World Diabetes Day is today, Sunday, November 14th, which is why I put the giant candle in my right sidebar. You can use the match to light it (you'll be taken to the World Diabetes website).
I'm all for raising awareness about diabetes but the majority of the time it's focused on Type 2, which is not the kind I have. I have Type 1. Sometimes I want to scream when people talk about preventing diabetes because there is no way to prevent Type 1 diabetes. And, if you're a regular reader of this blog, I am sure you know that by now because I've whined about it enough over the past few years. See how well I spread awareness? :)
I'll leave you with my favorite diabeetus video.
P.S. Thank you to Drs. Banting and Best for discovering insulin.
Yesterday was the Marine Corps birthday and since my mom was going to her monthly lunch with a bunch of former servicemen today, she wanted to make some cookies with her giant Marine Corps emblem cookie cutter for her friends. Long story short, the dough would not cooperate when it was time to roll it out so I told her I would track down a recipe that she could use next time.
I haven't Googled it yet but I thought I would ask you all if you had a recipe for rolled cookies. Wait. Is that what you call them? I only know drop cookies. Anyway, the kind where you use a cookie cutter.
Thank you!
P.S. Thank you to all our veterans for your service!
Craft Gossip is giving away a copy of Aimee Ray's Doodle Stitching: The Motif Collection. Leave a comment on this post by November 14 to enter.
They're also giving away ten copies of Amy Sedaris' new book Simple Times: Craft for Poor People and a $250 craft voucher. You have until November 21 to get in on that one. Go here for more info.
Good luck to you all! And, here's hoping I win.
A few years ago, there was a set of free embroidery patterns on Bobby Socks Quilt Company of 50's style dresses (called Dress Me Up) that I just loved. I printed most of them out (I think I missed two of them), and I swear some day I am going to stitch them all up.
Stop laughing.
Anyway, I know I also printed out the freebies from the following year, but I hadn't been back to the new site in a long, long time. I was just there now and found a set of free redwork patterns for 2010, called Fairy Tails, which are really cute. Be sure to save them all now because they won't be up once the year is over. And, good news for me: the Dress Me Up patterns are available for purchase from the site.
I had a link saved to this blog post on Twin Fibers because I loved the look of the felt flowers.
Tonight I was back at Twin Fibers and saw the finished white flowers. They're peonies. Funny because earlier I was searching for patterns for peonies, for embroidery, cross stitch, whatever.
It's nice to know there is a lovely version of a felt peony out there that I can look at from time to time and drool over.
(Yes, I have been drooling a lot lately.)
P.S. I love the dahlia too.
About ten years ago, I made a felt cat bag from instructions in Country Living magazine. I am pretty sure this was the first time I ever blanket stitched two pieces of felt together. And, when I look the picture, I hope to God that was my first attempt at blanket stitching because boy, is it horrible. (Click for larger version, if you dare.)
Did I say I made that ten years ago? I meant to say I made it when I was two. And sitting in the dark in the basement. During a power failure. And I was really drunk. And I was blind at the time. And in a coma.
I made that bag at the request of my mother so when I saw the tutorial for a felt cat bag in the Autumn issue of Inspired Ideas, I decided I should make one for my mom.
I just realized I must take pictures with my eyes closed. In the basement. Which apparently is painted white. (Memo to self: stop hanging stuff on the same white door for picture-taking.)
One thing I will say about that kitty bag is if I ever make one again, I will add the eyes and nose before I stitch the bag together. It's too hard for me to stitch on anything other than a flat surface.
In related news: Amy Powers of Inspire Co. has put out the Christmas issue of Inspired Ideas. I'm not even going to tell you what's in it. Just go take a look. I promise you will not be disappointed. You will probably be inspired to drool a little. I know I was. And I wasn't even passed out at the time. (If you can't see the e-magazine at the link above, try this one).
This was supposed to post at 10:10 tonight. Since it's still not up, I am adding another link. Take that, Blogger.
Dutch Sisters (a new-to-me blog) has a tutorial up to embroider and make a cute toadstool. There isn't a pattern (they do sell a kit for it in their store) but I think you could wing it.
I have way too many saved patterns for little stuffed animals and I think these are too involved for me to make, but I could not pass up linking to the tutorial for making Niblet and Biscuit. Niblet and Biscuit. Such cute words. They're cute dolls too. I also just fell in love with Gwenny Penny's Welcome Autumn banner. I'd print it right now but my printer needs toner.
Who knows when I'll get to it but I am definitely making one of these felt birds from A Feathered Nest in the very near future [via One Pretty Thing].
I love this Pottery Barn inspired poinsettia pillow from Spartan Living [via Craft Gossip].
The Felt Flower Mixed Bouquet over at Creative Jewish Mom is now at the top of my to-do/to-make/to-drool over list. As soon as I decide which colors I want my flowers, I am starting on this.
