Wait A Minute! What Happened to April?

It came and went before I got anything posted. I did have something written out but never got around to posting it. So much for my posting on a weekly basis or at least a more regular one.

Here’s what I wrote in April on the 15^th to be exact. You’ll see why I mention the date in a minute.

A Day of Finishing.

Yesterday (April 14^th) was a day for finishing. This is a rarity for me as I tend to be a starter not a finisher. Not because I don’t want to finish; not because I’m really lazy; and not because I’m stuck. I just get sidetracked by something else and start another project. Occasionally it’s because I’m out of or can’t find something for the task (and while I’m looking for it I find something else that captures my attention). Sometimes it’s a request from a family member or friend. So I have a lot of starts and very few finishes.

Spring wreath with Butterflies

What I finished yesterday (April 14^th)

A spring wreath to delight my grandson (stopped for a few days due to shortage of yarn, the a few more days as I wanted to add butterflies so I had to find a pattern, decide on colors etc.). I saw this on Pinterest and couldn't resist. He likes it – they were studying butterflies in preschool at the time.

March Quilt Block Jar of Strawberries

April Quilt Block

Quilt Block for quilt guild. OK I was 2 blocks behind on this. I’m not the best stitcher and my machine has been giving me trouble not to mention a dull blade in my rotary cutter and not having the right fabric. But I finished the two and did the next one due in May too.

May Quilt Block

Taxes. Well I started them and filed them at the stroke of midnight! Hey I normally file on the 15th!
Also went to church
grocery shopped
cleaned the pool
and took my first swim of the season. 

Wish all of my days were as productive!

Happy Stitching!

Rose

Ideas and Solutions

Small Embroidery Single Strand

Recently I started working on small embroidered pendants. At the same time I’m testing out working with just one strand of floss. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at needle or thread. When I read some of the writings from these types of artists they said they used only one strand at a time. Hmmm. I’ve used two strands a lot but never one. Last year I took an online class where we were encouraged to use all six strands at once. I had never done that either. So from one extreme to another. I wanted to try something small to see if I liked using just one strand (didn’t really like using all six). I do! So I think I’ll try a kit next and then venture out on my own.

Handi-Wipe

While checking out other artists I came across one on Facebook who was using a Handi-Wipe to protect her work. She said it was to protect the fabric from the hoop. She made it twice as long as the width of the hoop plus some extra, the width was wide enough to fit in the hoop with a little extra. After placing it on top of her fabric and then into the hoop she cut out the middle of just the Handi-Wipe so the fabric where she wanted to do her stitching was exposed. When she put her work aside she laid the extra length over the hoop to protect her work. I thought this was interesting.

Finished Pendant

When I started working on my pendants I was marking the outline of the part that the embroidery would cover on my fabric. After assembling a few of them and seeing how close my embroidery was coming to the edge (and sometimes even being covered) I realized the problem was I was using the inside insert rather than the top frame. The top piece had a rim around it which of course covered up the edge of the fabric. Solution: use the inside of the rim of the top piece for marking the area available for embroidery.

Pendant Frame and Insert

Solution

My next concern was marking this area. I didn’t want to risk having some of the marking showing when I was finished. I knew I could mark it lightly on the back and then do a running stitch around it and follow that stitching on the front and then remove it when I was finished. But that was extra work and I wanted to streamline my process. And then the light bulb went on!

How about using the Handi-Wipe and cut the center out to fit the inside of the frame? Perfect! I might try using some nonwoven sew-in interfacing next and see how that works.

Love finding solutions to problems and faster and better ways to do things!

Happy Stitching!

Rose

What Happened?

Wow it’s March already! Well we’ve been sick at our household. Not much fun. But I thought I’d better pop in here and let you know I have accomplished some work.

For Christmas I made a pair of fingerless gloves for a friend. Oops forgot to take a picture She also received a scarf. The gloves were crochet, the scarf was knitted. Both techniques I haven’t done for a while so it was fun picking up the hook and needles again, especially the needles.

Another Christmas present was a pair of extra-long firocheted that too! Oh and also a knitted cowl. I’ve made a few more of thosengerless gloves for my daughter. Again I didn’t take a picture. Plus they came out too small for her so I have to redo. She did get a boot cuff that fit. C and will have pictures soon. My daughter said hers also came in handy when she was sick she used it to keep her chest warm.

I also made a hat for my grandson and a crayon roll up. 

Crayon Rollup

He also got a dapper outfit (well a onsie) from his tutu.

Polka Dots and Stripes

I’ve been testing out a new embroidery project, scribbles and such in pendants. I’ll be posting photos soon and also have a new tip to share (maybe tomorrow).

Tiny Violets

And I’ve started working on another Crazy Quilt for the CQ2013 Journal Project. I’ve constructed all of the blocks first, all 12 of them. Now to get the first three embroidered and embellished before the end of March. I’m using my “Oh look, she colored everything yellow” project for this so all my blocks are black, yellow, and white. I’m liking it so far. I think I will practice a different family of stitches on each block as I need practice in that area.

Finally I’m still trying to sort and organize my “stuff”.

Happy Stitching!

Rose

Prunes and Threads

Repurposing Plus

Prune Container

Today I’m giving you two ideas, one is for storage and the other is for controlling those threads.

I use prunes a lot – well I eat two a day. I used to buy them in the smaller tube container but then switched to the larger pack that is just a plastic bag. Well now I’ve switched back to the tube packaging for a while. Why?

Storage containers

I discovered I could remove the plastic label and the container is the perfect size to hold my pencils, brushes, pens, etc. So after throwing several away in the recycle bin I have found a use for them and I need more.

Next up came from my embroidery projects. First if you read this post you know I’ve been working on organizing and storing my floss. Well the little labels sold to be used on the floss bobbins do not stick to the plastic ones very well. While I was working on a project I put the selected colors on a binder ring. By the time I had finished the project the labels were everywhere but on the bobbin where they should be. After researching on the internet for a solution I decided to use a fine black sharpie pen and write the number on the bobbin. Make sure you use a pen that is waterproof and smear proof. You might want to test your pen out first on a few bobbins before doing all of them. Okay that was just an aside to what I really wanted to share.

Floss Bobbin with sets looped in hole

When I start to work on a project – small or large- I cut off a length of floss, separate the strands and then group them by the number of strands I plan to embroider with, 2 – 3- 4 etc.  If I’m not sure how many strands I will be using I will put all six back together. I then tie a single overhand knot at the bottom of each set. Now I’m ready to embroider. But wait! I am only using one set at a time. What to do with the rest? I was using a carbone ring to hold them but sometimes the colors are so close that I had a hard time distinguishing them. Looking at my thread bobbins it dawned on me, they all have a hole in the top of them for putting them on an organizing ring. Well I store mine in boxes so I don’t really use the hole. Yup you guessed it! I take the extra sets and loop them through the hole. Perfect! 

Thread sets ready for storage

And when I’m done and still have sets left I keep them looped in the hole and wrap them around the bobbin top to bottom. Nice and tidy.

Happy Stitching!

Rose

Tangled

Tangled Floss

Remember this?  I have been working on organizing my floss and came across several skeins that had become quite tangled. As I sat working out the knots and tangles I was reminded of another time I spent untangling. I was sitting in my Dad’s living room with a large skein of yarn that had become impossibly tangled. I needed it for a project I was working on and didn’t have money to buy a new skein. So I worked and worked at it all the while my dad was sitting nearby reading the newspaper and watching me. Finally after several hours I was done and now had a nice round ball of yarn ready to be used.

My Dad just looked at me and shook his head “You must have a lot of patience.” he said “If it was me I would have thrown the whole lot away after five minutes and bought some new yarn.” Well that wasn’t an option for me at that time, but I am a pretty patient person in most areas of my life. However if circumstances had been different I may well have done just that.

As I was thinking about that I thought how our lives sometimes become so tangled through bad decisions we make or even how we react to circumstances beyond our control. Some of us became so messed up and tangled that even our closest friends and family were ready to throw us away as a lost cause, beyond hope, of no value.

But thanks be to God He sees the tangled mess and says I can work this out if you’ll just let Me. And with His help slowly the tangles come out. I was so deep in sin about to give up and end it all when He heard my cry and saved my life. He’s still working on my tangles and knots.

Even when He runs into a big knot His love and grace keeps working at it until the knot is loosened and the tangle is freed. Some of us are so tangled it may take our lifetime to get it all straightened out, but as long as we rest in His hands we have the assurance that He will continue until we are perfect in Him.

Happy to be His!

Rose

Bye 2012. Welcome 2013!

Reflecting on 2012 it was a year full of pleasures, thankfulness, and love. Oh sure it had some bumps and disappointments and mistakes (my life seems to have a lot of these) but all in all I’d have to say it was a very good year for me.

Some of the pleasures:

Jaden

I loved having my grandson Jaden in my life on an almost daily basis.

Watching him grow, and change is delightful. Seeing the looks of joy, fun, amusement and wonder; hearing his unique laugh; seeing how much fun he can get out of the simplest of things; all bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart.

Mama Marilynn

 Watching my daughter get a deeper meaning of what being a mother is brings back memories of when I first became one. Her writings still enthrall me and I encourage you to visit her blog: Little Girl Dancing and read for yourself. They are simple writings that touch the heart and tug at heartstrings. If you have time leave some comments as all bloggers get encouraged by hearing when something they wrote touched someone else. And even though she has a full schedule with work, husband, child and friends she still finds time to do a lot for her parents. When she cooks she always makes extra and then delivers them to us. I told my husband he has his own personal meals on wheels!

Shayne

 I have to mention Shayne, my son-in-law, too because he always comes to the rescue when it comes to the house or car. I don’t tell him often enough but we sure do appreciate his being a part of our family. His mom and dad have become great friends too!

Samuel Kainoa

 And no I can’t overlook my son. His growth in so many of life’s areas has been amazing. He has always had it in his heart to help those less fortunate than himself. Now he does it on a much larger scale, feeding the homeless, encouraging the youth, freely giving of his time and energy, visiting and distributing shoes to orphans in Uganda, working with the people of Guatemala.

What joy my heart feels when I think on these things!

I’m thankful for all of this and for Facebook which allows me to be in touch with family and friends, both near and far, some who have always been in my life and some whom I’ve just recently reconnected with. It’s fun seeing your children and grandchildren, where you’ve been and where you’re at in life. 

I’m thankful for my quilt guild in Arlington and my former one in Hawaii, for the online stitchers, teachers, quilters, and crafters who share so willingly.

I’m thankful for Creekwood Church in Mansfield and the teaching of pastor Stephen Nutt. We are so fortunate to be able to attend the church of our choice and openly worship our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ!

So now I bid 2012 farewell.

Welcome 2013! I have plans for you but don’t worry I had plans for 2012 too. Some worked out, some didn’t. I expect the same to be true with 2013 but I’m looking forward to getting started.

Happy New Year everyone and

Happy stitching!

Rose

Paper Embroidery Tip

Need to punch holes in paper for paper embroidery? I was doing this recently for the online class (An Embroiderer’s Ledger). The paper in my journal was quite thick and I was having difficulty getting the needle through. After nearly creasing the paper a few times I decided there must be a way to make this easier.

Small padded surface

I grabbed a small padded surface I had close by and put it behind my page. Now I could just push the needle through the paper into the padding. Worked great!

Black foam pad

I now use a piece of thick craft foam (from the children's craft section) for this process but a piece of dense foam, thick foamcore board, or a handmade padded surface would also work. A flat piece of Styrofoam would also do the trick. Of course some of these would begin to crumble or become unusable if you use it a lot.

And some of these would dull your needle faster so you may need to sharpen your needle every now and then. You could use one of my needle candies for this!

Happy Stitching!   Rose ♥