Just Let Me Quilt: November 2014

Saturday, November 29, 2014

I'm Counting Stitches Over Here

I was away from my sewing machine for 10 days...that's a LONG TIME!

It feels so nice to have my sweet machine close by again.

It was such a painful separation, but luckily I had something to keep me busy...

Family, Monkey Boys, food, and this new-for-me-to-learn-thing called

xxxxxxxCOUNTED CROSS STITCHINGxxxxxxx.

That Other Lady said it is relaxing.

Hopefully, that will happen sometime soon.

Thankfully, there are blog tutorials and videos to help...whew!

I've even had sweet ladies give me hints while I was staring at the threads in a craft store.

One of the best things I learned last week was how to separate the embroidery floss.

For YEARS my threads would end up in a jumbled mess when I tried to use just a strand or two.

NOT ANYMORE!

I found a video that showed me how to pull out one strand at a time without creating a

knotted pile of threads. It was just what I needed to start this cross stitching journey!
(I know, you long-time cross stitchers are shaking your heads that I didn't know this.)

This was the video I watched showing how to separate the threads:

Why am I learning to counted cross stitch in my old age? Good question!!!!

It's all because Madame Samm got us all fired up with amazing patterns to cross stitch for a blog hop.
Check them out on her blog at SewWeQuilt.com!

She's also going to be sharing lots of hints and tricks on how to cross stitch.
I'll definitely be needing all the help I can get!

I've been practicing on Merry Christmas Grumpy Kitty
by Brooke Nolan, Brooke's Books Publishing.
It's a freebie pattern you can find HERE.

I think this is upside down, but it really is Grumpy Kitty!

I was so happy to be back with my sewing machine, so I finished my daughter's Christmas pillow.
We had gone shopping at Quilted Works weeks ago and she'd picked up this cute wreath pillow kit.
Unfortunately, we didn't have time to sew it while she was visiting so I finished it for her.

Now back I go to that RELAXING counted cross stitching thing.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!

My family will be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow with lots of turkey, stuffing,

sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce...and other yummy traditional foods.

No stitching or sewing, but there will be Monkey Boys to hug and kiss!

Here's wishing you a day full of thanks!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Looking Cold, But We Support You!

This little flower is fighting the cold to keep it's place in the warm weather.

Hang in there pretty baby!

Right now there many of us who have friends or family who are fighting a battle against breast

cancer and most of them are thankfully winning their battle. Want to show your support?

Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt has a new blog hop that's perfect to show support!

Her pattern is adorable and will look something like this one (only way, way bigger) that I made

last year for a friendship quilt to support a sweet lady who'd had a nasty fire destroy her home.

Want to sign-up for this hop?

Just click HERE for all the info!

There's another hop that still has some openings if you love to counted cross stitch or embroidery.

Some amazing designers have created seasonal patterns for us to add to a Tammy Bag.

Click HERE for that blog hop...hurry, don't wait too long to sign up!

I've never, ever counted cross stitched, but I'm giving this my best shot...come on and join me!

Don't make me double dog dare you!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Pillowcases, New Blog Hop, And Gift Ideas

Making pillowcases is new to me, but I now I love making them and giving them as gifts.

Even more fun is when I receive pillowcases all ready to sew!

I won the makings of these two pillowcase from Sue at Suebee's World...thanks, Sue!

Aren't they just the cutest in this fabric!

I should have made some for the T'was The Night blog hop, because they are so quick to make.

In less than an hour I had these little beauties sewn and ready for use. Love it!

There's still more days in the hop...check out all the great gift ideas!

Tuesday, Nov. 11

CeLynn’s Sunflower Patch

Creativity Amongst Chaos

Stitchin’ By The Lake

Seams To Be Sew

Why Knot Kwilt

Quilting Quietly

Wednesday, Nov. 12

Thursday, Nov. 13

Friday, Nov. 14

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Stitch In Time

Kris Loves Fabric

Life In The Scrapatch

Monday, Nov. 17

Tuesday, Nov. 18

Geta’s Quilting Studio

How Art You?

Hill Valley Quilter

Sew Many Yarns

Thimblemouse & Spouse

Wednesday, Nov. 19

Quilt N Queen

I Piece 2 Mary

Kwilty Pleasures

Creatin’ In The Sticks

From This To That

Sew Me Something Good

Gracie Oliver Arts

Thursday, Nov. 20

Quilted Delights

Janes Quilting

Allthingzsewn

More Stars In Comanche

Pickles Quilting

Cate’s Linens

Friday, Nov. 21

Living Life At The End Of The Dirt Road

Pig Tales and Quilts

Grandmama’s Stories

Quilting Queen Online

Sew We Quilt

Did you hear!

There's a new blog hop in the works!

Don't miss your chance to sign-up!

Details are HERE.

Friday, November 14, 2014

The Ghastlie Christmas Gift

The T'was the Night blog hop has really given us a fantastic week of great ideas

for quick and easy gifts AND there's still one more week of fun! Whoohoo!

A little recap on what I made for a gift:

I went a little Ghastlie with the gift I mailed off to Theresa..I love that Alexander Henry fabric!

One of the gifts was a scalloped needle holder...it folds up so cute! I had to trace the one

I received at a quilt retreat to create it, because I couldn't find a pattern online.

I created a round pattern with the same idea in mind to make a needle holder for me.

Next I based this gift off a Simple Sewing Companion...easy and quick!

You can find it HERE

Last of all, I made a Ghastlie snap bag.

I love that creepy family!

I can't wait to see next week's gift ideas!

Check out all the gift ideas!

Tuesday, Nov. 11

CeLynn’s Sunflower Patch

Creativity Amongst Chaos

Stitchin’ By The Lake

Seams To Be Sew

Why Knot Kwilt

Quilting Quietly

Wednesday, Nov. 12

Thursday, Nov. 13

Friday, Nov. 14

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Stitch In Time

Kris Loves Fabric

Life In The Scrapatch

Monday, Nov. 17

Tuesday, Nov. 18

Geta’s Quilting Studio

How Art You?

Hill Valley Quilter

Sew Many Yarns

Thimblemouse & Spouse

Wednesday, Nov. 19

Quilt N Queen

I Piece 2 Mary

Kwilty Pleasures

Creatin’ In The Sticks

From This To That

Sew Me Something Good

Gracie Oliver Arts

Thursday, Nov. 20

Quilted Delights

Janes Quilting

Allthingzsewn

More Stars In Comanche

Pickles Quilting

Cate’s Linens

Friday, Nov. 21

Living Life At The End Of The Dirt Road

Pig Tales and Quilts

Grandmama’s Stories

Quilting Queen Online

Sew We Quilt

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

T'was The Night For My Gift

T'was The Night is another very cool blog hop idea by Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt.

How fun to have a hop that shares quick and easy Christmas gifts to make in just a few hours!

Plus, we exchanged some of those gifts with other bloggers...love it!

Marlene at Stitchin by the Lake was the Head Elf/Cheerleader who gathered all us blogger

elves together to get creative, sew, and mail off our gifts to the next person on the schedule.

Whew! I can't imagine how much time it took her for such a task!

Thanks to both Madame Samm and Marlene for all their time and energy getting this together!

It definitely T'was The Night for me to smile thanks to Mary Pat at Quilting Quietly
when a sweet package of goodies arrived at my doorstep. I couldn't have been more delighted
by what she'd put together for me. As I ~~ripped~~ slowly opened the box, I found all of this...

There were four lovingly sewn cloth napkins that fold into the cutest shape.

My table will look so special at Christmas with those little beauties!

How adorable is this...a Christmas glass ornament filled with colorful threads!

Then there was a little zippered bag all quilted and looking gorgeous in Christmas fabrics!

Lucky me to have Mary Pat create such treasures for me!

But...she didn't stop there! She also made some paper flowers

like the ones she puts in her guest room...no watering needed!

Thanks, Mary Pat!

On top of what I made and sent to Theresa over at Bumbleberry Cottage (it's on her blog today),
I also made a few quick and easy items that would make perfect gifts for quilters.

I love these little coin purses and have made lots of them to share.
You can find this pattern by Madame Samm HERE.

I think my little Cinderella carriage charm looks perfect on this bag!

If you'd told me three years ago that I'd become a huge fan of needle holders...well...
I'd tell you "NO WAY, I just stick them in a pincushion!" But, YES, now I am a fan in a big way.

The first needle holder I ever had came from Katherine at Sew Me Something Good and that
threw me into needle holder have-to-have mode. Britt-Inger had me try a pattern...loved it, use it!

I made this needle holder in a simple round design with a big tab. Someone gave me a
scalloped one, but I couldn't find a pattern online. This one folds up to keep the
needles from falling out and landing on the floor where I would step on them.
The button is just decorative...Velcro closes it. I love how it folds into this sweet shape!

This is what I drew up for the needle holder. The felt in the center is a 7" circle.

I made two different scissor holders...the one on the right is by Vickie Purnell (HERE)
and is so easy to make! Adding buttons gives it a different look.

This little guy (from Britt-Inger) thinks these would be great for Mrs. Santa!

Of course, there's the famous Tammy Bag...it makes a great gift!
I have several of these and have them filled with my embroidery and sewing needs.

That Other Lady was showing off her new Beam n Read and I knew that I just HAD to have one.
My eyes aren't what they used to be and having this sweet accessory makes my sewing time
so much nicer...love it! There's even a USB power kit available to save my batteries.
I like wearing it around my neck so it points directly at what I'm working on...it's very lightweight!

I'm so hooked on this sweet light!

See those tiny little holes on the purse frame below?
I clicked my Beam n Read up to the 6 bulb setting...WOW...can you say "bright"!
I could see the holes and get my needle right through them. It was so cool!

Another plus is that it DOES NOT GET HOT, which is very important when temperatures
where I live are sometimes 114 degrees or higher. I don't need any extra heat!

I just started an embroidery project and I'm so amazed at how nice it is to SEE what I'm doing!
It can tilt at different angles and has filters for different types of light.
You can read more about the Beam n Read HERE.

Marlene had suggested having a basket full of goodies to share with others when we need
something quick. I found this cute metal basket that's ready to fill, only not with any of these.

I made a bag of my own to store all these matching accessories.
I'm excited to have a whole set that goes together!
It's Just A Round Bag with vinyl pockets so it's easier to see what's inside.