CraftyCat

Projects Of Three

2012-02-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

Most stitchers love starting new projects and I can completely understand this phenomena. It's a joy to gather all of your materials and eventually put in that first stitch. In keeping with my new plan to always have three stitching projects going, I started a new one this week. It's Prairie Schooler's "Folk Eggs". I've also been thinking a lot about spring lately, so this fits right in. I don't know why I'm thinking about spring when this winter has been so mild. Anyway, it's being stitched on 28 count black Lugana over 2 threads all on one piece of fabric. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a wall hanging, but I could still change my mind and frame it. And don't wrinkle up your nose at stitching on black -- it's really not difficult and the result is very pretty, especially with the thread colors used in this project.

Sheila and I went to the Intergalactic Bead Show last weekend. I hadn't been to one of these in a long time, so it was nice to see what was new. Judging from the attendance, I could see that beading is still a very popular hobby. I bought a kit to make a woven bead and pearl necklace, and some centerpiece pendants. It was interesting talking to the vendors and even other jewelry makers, and I even learned a few new things. This visit might just spark a new interest in jewelry making for me!

Here is another one of Mark's lathework creations. I came home one day to find it on the table and it took me a while to realize what it was because my first thought was, "Now where did Mark get that?". It's very well done, don't you think? I think he's found his woodworking niche.

All this fuss makes Cosmo plum tuckered out.

This past week has been pretty busy and a little stressful because we just learned that our oldest cat, Cosmo, has diabetes. A simple change in his diet and two insulin injections a day should regulate this well, but it's still a little weird. And it means a whole new routine for us because the shots have to be 12 hours apart. After a few days of this, the shots have been getting a little easier and don't appear to hurt him at all. Oh, he would let us know if it did! And I only poked myself in the finger once! Yay for me! Cosmo goes in for a some kind of testing on Monday, so we'll know a little more about how well all of this is working. Wish us luck.

I'm looking forward to Saturday Stitch Day at The Stitch Store this week! It's always fun to get together with these ladies and see what we're all stitching. Amazing how quickly that day passes! I plan to work on "Folk Eggs" and will post my progress!

It Works!

2012-01-29T10:58:00.000-08:00

Now I can serge the fabric I cut!

Those of you who have been following this blog are acquainted with my ~~love-hate~~ ~~relationship~~ bad attitude toward my mini serger. Yes, it's as cute as can be, but the darn thing refused to work. This new development falls squarely into the "it doesn't take much to make me happy" category. The serger is now WORKING! And I will give all of the credit to Mark, who seems to somewhat enjoy getting things fixed with a great deal of patience. I was pretty much done with the thing and ready to toss it or sell it for parts, but he sat at my craft table yesterday and got the chain going after discovering that the needle had been put in wrong. Not by me. The former owner gets all the blame for that. So it was up to me to try it out and TA-DAA!

I used my Friday day off to do some stitching and watching some vintage Project Runway (season 2). I know. It's kind of pathetic. But I did get my Seasonal Sampler finished! It was a nice change of pace stitching on this giant (10 count) fabric, but it did make it a little difficult for my eyes to re-adjust to stitching on 30 count. Cute finish though. I need to find a nice square frame for this one.

In my ongoing quest to get the craft room organized, I finally went through the chart collection. I must have done a good job because I weeded out about 20 charts. These are ones I either have stitched in the past or ones that I know I'll never stitch. I don't even remember where I got some of them. But during the process, I got to look at each chart I own and made some decisions about where in the stitching lineup they are. As for the charts I'm done with -- should I do a giveaway? Put them up for sale? This is something I'll have to decide soon.

These are the ones that are going!

Lastly, here's a photo of Cosmo, while he was watching me type up this post.

More Progress, TUSAL, And A Rainy Day Treat

2012-01-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

After the past week or so of spotty internet service, I'm taking the opportunity to post while the posting is good. First of all, let me proudly display my ort jar for the TUSAL I'm taking part in. Amazing how those little threads accumulate! For more information, read about the TUSAL on this post on Daffycat's blog.

Next is my progress on "Seasonal Sampler". If I knew how much I was going to like this project, I would have stitched it up sooner. This has been the perfect stitching project to start after not stitching for a while. Not too much left to do on it. Fun, just fun.

What do you get when you combine a gloomy, rainy day with a day off from work? Some housework, bad TV and this:

Who knew that skim milk could froth up like that? I'm becoming more of a coffee fan lately. And it was delicious.

OK, I'm not going to tempt the fates much longer. My internet connection could go poof at any time, so I'm going to make this post a short one. I guess I'll just have to stitch and maybe watch some more bad TV.

A Start And Some Acquisitions

2012-01-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

Remember how I wanted to add to my WIP's to make my magic number of three projects? I decided on "Seasonal Sampler" by Bent Creek. My friend Lori gave me the chart a while back and I've had it kitted up for quite a while too. Wanting to stitch something different, I thought this would be just the ticket. The fabric is 10 count Tula in Country Mocha and the floss is Perle Cotton. I don't think I've ever done an entire project in Perle Cotton, so this is a departure from the norm! The result is stitches that have a very chunky look. And the chart is so cute. I do like stitching things having to do with seasons and months, so I'm really enjoying this. My fellow stitcher, Thea, remarked that she was also a fan of seasons, so I'll pass this chart to her when I'm done.

Last Saturday was Stitch Day at The Stitch Store. I hadn't been in a while, so this was a real treat to see our stitch group again. It's always good to see what other stitchers are up to - very inspirational. Also, we all had to agree that a positive thing about meeting and stitching was the affirmation we receive when we show off our completed (and in-progress) projects. I'll try to remember my camera next time to get some photos of the beautiful work our group does.

I did get some straightening done in the craft room this week. All of the Christmas wrapping paper and ribbon are put away, as are the boxes and bags I stashed there. There is still a lot of organization to do. I'll get to it. And then there is the chart collection. I figured out how many actual charts (not freebies) that I have and I'm somewhat embarrassed. But that's as far as I got. The next step is to go through them. See how I have to do this in steps?

There's a very cool antique show that is held at a local exposition center every month. Did I mention that it's local? It's within about 5 miles of my house. Plus, they always have a spectacular selection of lovely things to buy. A little dangerous? Why, yes it is. I don't go every time, but when I do, I usually come home with something fun. And useful too! Here are some craft room goodies I bought last month.

The pink glass flower frog fits a little bowl I already had and makes a good (second) scissor holder. I don't have a scissor problem. Really. The cats in a row is actually a wall hanger. I still have to decide where to put it. And the little bunny is just cute and looks good on the craft table. And this tiny box of Shiny Brite ornaments is really a little pin. Some extremely talented crafter copied a real Shiny Brite box and then shrunk it down to create a teeny-tiny box, just big enough for some Mardi Gras bead ornaments. So cute and clever!

So I've had a good start to the year, crafting and stiching-wise. Also organizing-wise. And that scrapbook has been on my mind lately. Maybe this will be the year that I actually finish it!

Getting Back Into The Stitching Routine

2012-01-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

No one was more surprised than me when I saw the date of my last post. A month ago! And I'd been doing so well with the blogs! Oh well, I'm back and ready to go.

Let's see, since I last blogged, I: baked two batches of cookies and three loaves of pumpkin bread; made a batch of crockpot candy; worked 12 days; lifted and checked in approximately 1500 books; had a good 18 day visit with our son; wrapped about 20 gifts; met our son's lovely girlfriend; put away approximately 200 ornaments; enjoyed some nice dinners/lunches with family and friends; had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. And just how many stitches did I get in during the past month? Oh, just about 100, if that.

I guess my craftiness has taken a backseat to any and all Christmas activities. I was, however, happy to present the scarf I crocheted to Stephanie and was even happier that she liked it!

Now it's time to get back into the routine of eating better, exercising and being crafty - stitching in particular. Remember when I used to stitch only one project at a time? Maybe you don't. But it's true. No new project was started until the current one was done. What a weird rule. What was that all about? So now I have in progress the Kitty Kalendar and Holiest of Nights. What shall I add to my WIPs? Over the next couple of days, I'll be searching through my ever-increasing chart collection and select the perfect one. That should get my stitching back on track!

The good news is that there is a Saturday Stitch In at The Stitch Store this week! Yippee! I'm looking forward to seeing all of my stitching friends and spending the day doing what we love to do - stitching, eating, and talking. Can't wait!

January is also the month that we're supposed to get all organized. The craft room truly needs it. I've been in the bad habit of sticking stuff that I don't want to deal with in there. And I should go through the above mentioned chart collection and realistically weed out the ones I probably won't stitch. Good idea, huh?

Oh, and a serger update: Mark spent some of the last day of his vacation taking a look at the ill-mannered machine. He has come to the conclusion that it is indeed threaded correctly (I'm patting myself on the back right now), but that there is something bent in the inner-workings. He thinks he knows what it is, and he is welcome to take the thing apart and attempt to fix it. So I'll post either a picture of the working machine or me saying a sad farewell to it. Stay tuned.

It's December?

2011-12-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

I'm having a hard time believing that we're already into the double digits of December. I certainly know that it's December, but how a month can fly by so quickly is beyond me. It's probably because there is so much to do, and so much that's expected of us that we get to the end of the month and ask "What just happened there?". So now that we're at the less-than-two-weeks until Christmas point, I intend to slow down a little.

Mark and I started this slow-down yesterday by attending the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Christmas Show. This is a tradition we've held for about 13 years now. Yes, it's pretty much the same show every year and no, that doesn't matter to us. After listening to these talented musicians and singers perform their beautiful selections, there was no way we couldn't be in the Christmas spirit.

We also participated in Clark's Christmas Kids again this year. You've seen Wal-Mart busy at the holidays, but not like this. Clark broadcasts his show right there from the Wal-Mart, where people can come in a choose a child in the Georgia foster system to buy for. Then it's time to take the cart and find your gifts. But despite all of the jostling, it's a happy crowd. I know that the purpose of this event is to benefit needy kids, but the givers get a good feeling from the experience too.

With everything going on, it's been difficult to find stitching time, or any kind of crafting time for that matter. I've been thinking that all I want for Christmas is a day of uninterrupted stitching time. Wouldn't that be nice? I did frame my Peppermint Twist, which I finished stitching earlier this year. Once again, the people at American Frame came through with exactly what I needed. I chose a lovely green frame and red mat, which matched the stitching perfectly. I had forgotten how much I like this piece -- so pretty and cheerful for the Christmas season. Plus, I had the perfect wall for it, and there it will stay until the last decoration is put away.

Tonight is our neighborhood's "Night of Lights" luminary display. Mark has already prepared our luminaries so that they will be ready to be placed and lit at 7:00. Sheila, Fred, Emily and Grace will be joining us for this and a pizza dinner. And hopefully, a little walk through the neighborhood. It's time to slow down and enjoy this beautiful Christmas season.

Joy!

2011-11-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

Another finish for me, this time a stitching finish. It's "Joy" by Little House Needleworks. This caught my eye when it came out because of its simplicity and colors. Even though I knew the finished size, for some reason I kept thinking it would be ornament size. But it's a lot larger than the usual ornament. So I will finish it as shown in its chart photo and make it a door hanger and I'll post another picture of it completely done. But I just had to post this pretty and very seasonal finish!

Still in the Christmas stitching mode, I am working on "Holiest Of Nights" by Homespun Elegance and like the way it's turning out. Don't worry about the Kitty Kalendar -- it's about halfway done and is just kind of in the back of the rotation. It hasn't turned into a UFO! I do want to start something else to keep my current number of stitching projects at three. Why three? It just seems like a good number to have going at once!

Christmas Finishes Before Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T07:19:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to say that I have a couple of finishes this week, just when we're getting into the hectic part of the holidays when I often feel like I'm a step behind. My first finish is my fabric wreath! When I saw this project online, I thought it would be kind of cute, but it turned out very pretty. It will definitely brighten up a wall in our home over the Christmas holidays. You can find the directions to make one of these wreaths here. A couple of things though. The straw wreaths were a little hard to find. I finally ended up buying the last two 10" wreaths at Hobby Lobby. It also calls for the use of a pinking rotary cutter, and as you may have read in my previous post, that just didn't work at all. Never did find out what the deal with that was. So if you already have pinking shears, you can save yourself some money and use those. Just take a break while cutting out the fabric squares or your hand will fall off. I didn't do the ribbon hanger because I'm going to hang the wreath on an existing nail and I didn't want that to show. So I threaded a piece of fishing line into a large needle and poked it through the wreath in the back, knotted it into a loop, and now have a no-show hanger. Oh, and use a thicker Phillips-head screwdriver to push in your fabric squares.

My second finish is my bellpull. I stitched all three Christmas Box Ornaments by Country Garden Stitchery on one piece of fabric and found a nice bellpull hanger and there you have it. It needs a good ironing around the edges, I know. I was glad to be done with the metallic floss portion of the stitching, but it did make the finished product oh-so-pretty!

I wanted to show you another finish that I can't take credit for because it's Sheila's! I believe this is from the 2010 issue of the JCS Ornament Issue. I should know this, I realize. But seeing as how this is her first ornament finish, I think it's pretty impressive. So now when I want to do an ornament finish with the ribbon and beads, I'll know who to consult. Very pretty, Sheila!

Also this week, I signed up for Daffycat's TUSAL. That's "Totally Useless Stitch-a-long". It just looked like fun. You can find out more about it at Daffycat's blog on her November 15 post. People probably think we stitchers are a little nuts for saving our floss ends, or orts, in pretty jars, but that's fine. And there are currently 152 of us signed up for the TUSAL, so who's nuts?!

My serger continues to vex me. I worked on it a little more this week and got it to where I thought the threading was absolutely correct. Not so much. It's still not making the chain when I turn the wheel. Hmmmm. I think I'm going to have to do what I've been avoiding all along -- unthread the thing completely and then start from scratch. Someone online thought it would be a good idea to take your serger to a sewing machine repair place to have them thread it for you, but that would probably cost more than I paid for it to begin with! But, just to let you know, the serger has not defeated me! I am determined!

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. What a great time to think about what we have and how thankful we are for it. Until next time.

Crafty Guy Strikes Again

2011-11-19T11:29:00.000-08:00

In my last post I talked about crafters receiving hand-made gifts from other creative people. I didn't mention another hand-crafted gift I was given very recently. As you may know from a previous post (Crafty Guy), Mark does woodworking on a lathe. He has made some beautiful items for me and for friends in the past and they have been much appreciated. During the past few months, the subject of a lamp came up. It sounded like a particularly ambitious project, but that didn't stop Crafty Guy. Then recently, I was presented with a lovely lamp for my craft room! It's certainly much nicer than the metal desk lamp I'd been using! The base is made out of maple, and the spindle part is jobillo. Not sure what that is or where it comes from, but it looks good.

Nice work, Mark! Something I can really use, and it looks good in the crafting space. I'm still a little iffy on the shade, but it was the best I could find so far. If I happen to spot a better one someplace, you can be sure I'll be changing it. But I am very happy with my new lamp and it will be put to good use!

I will be posting soon with a photo of my finished wreath, as promised. So far no additional progress on my bellpull, but hope to take some time for that this week. I have begun another project, but won't be able to post a photo of that until January! Shhh, it's a secret.

A Crafty Gift For A Crafter

2011-11-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

It doesn't matter what kinds of crafts we do, we crafters like to receive hand crafted gifts too. Last Saturday at stitch day at The Stitch Store, one of our Chinese exchange gifts was a handmade tea cozy and bun warmer set. It was beautifully made and the gift that got the most oohs and aahs. I wish I had my camera with me. Next time. And I will add that ALL of the gifts were lovely and greatly appreciated!

Today Sheila and I went to J. Christopher's and enjoyed catching up over breakfast and yummy cappuccinos. We hadn't gotten together in a while, and I knew that she was crocheting a scarf for me. So today was the day I got my present! It's beautiful and the colors are perfect! I just love when someone crafts something for me. Is it because I know the work that goes into it? Maybe. But it's especially nice to know that someone was making something with me in mind. This pretty scarf kind of makes me want some cold weather so I can wear it!

We had a couple of hours to work on our fabric wreaths. So far we love the result! Just look! We're both very happy with the fabric selection that we chose. At the time, we weren't sure about what fabrics to select because we basically didn't know what we were doing, but I think we were successful. The secret is to use a fatter screwdriver. Looks pretty good so far, right? I'm positive that it will look even better when it's finished and fluffed out. Of course, I'll post a picture! You know I will.

I mentioned our stitch day on Saturday. As usual, it was a good group -- lots of different personalities who seem to get along extremely well. I'm quickly getting into the Christmas spirit and decided to start a second Christmasy project. I started "Joy" by Little House Needleworks at our stitch day and got a lot done! It's turning out a lot larger than your average ornament, so I'll probably finish it as a door hanger. Maybe. The other Christmas stitching project I'm working on is "Holiest of Nights" by Homespun Elegance. Will I get them done by Christmas? Possibly next Christmas, and that's fine with me. It's just nice to work on something like these during the Christmas season.

It's always good to have a helper when you're doing a project, whether it be a craft project or just writing your blog. Here's my latest "helper". It's Ozzy, and he's being very productive sitting in our printer stand between Purdue Pete and Georgia Tech's Buzz. Nice to know I have an assistant.

Hey, I'm up to 45 followers!! It makes me happy to know that people are actually reading my blog. I hope that you're all at least a little bit informed and entertained. I also appreciate and enjoy the comments I'm getting too. So thank you!

My goals for the upcoming week are: Finishing the Christmas bellpull and starting a project which is going to be a gift so it's all hush-hush right now!

Crafty Odds and Ends

2011-11-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

The craft room has been a busy place lately. Gobble has been framed and is already gracing the family room with his cuteness. This was a fun project and a pretty quick stitch. I'd like to stitch seasonal pieces to frame and put in a little frame stand at the appropriate time of the year. It'll be interesting to see what I come up with.

I also finished stitching Christmas Box Ornaments last night. The boxes are very pretty decorated with metallic thread and beads. I will admit that I didn't enjoy working with the metallic thread, even the end result is lovely. I know I want to make this into a bellpull, but still have to figure out how I'm going to do that. Should it have a different fabric backing, or should I just fold the fabric back to make a self-backing? Should the bottom be straight or pointed? Any suggestions are welcome.

Sheila and I have decided to do a wreath project that she found instructions for on the web. The base is a straw wreath, and the decorative part is fabric. So I spent part of Friday morning cutting out hundreds of squares of Christmas fabric. It didn't take me that long to do once I had a method. This week we will attempt to make the wreaths. I'll let you know how it turns out and will post pictures. I'll also post the link IF the project is successful. I mean, I've never jammed squares of fabric into a straw wreath with a Phillips head screwdriver before, so who knows what will happen! I bought a new rotary cutter with a pinking blade to use for this project, but it won't cut through the fabric! I've used rotary cutters before with no problem, so I don't know what the deal is here. I watched a Youtube video of people cutting through fabric like it's butter. Mine - not so much. Has anyone else had this problem? Or am I doing something wrong? I haven't tried it with the straight cutter, just the pinking. Luckily I had some pinking shears and they saved the day.

And just to prove that I was able to overcome my fear of the serger, I'm posting a picture of my "progress" in threading it. I've actually succeeded in threading it, but there is one step that is wrong. I know what it is, but can't figure out how to place the thread where it says to. I might be able to if I had Barbie hands. The cats might be able to fit their little paws in there, but then there is the problem of lack of thumbs. But I am still determined to get this thing going.

Thanks for reading my blog. I'm always happy to read your comments and get new followers! Welcome to my new followers. Thanks for joining in the crafty fun!

BOO! Scary, Scary!!

2011-10-31T05:04:00.000-07:00

It came from the depths of the closet where is has been lurking for years. And it chose the spookiest, scariest day to make its presence known. All because it wants to torment its owner. Bwahahahaha! What could this horrible being be? Okay, it's just a mini serger, but a little scary, don't you think? No, you say? Not scary at all? But just look at it! I bought this little device on Ebay maybe about 4 years ago because I thought it would be useful for sewing and for serging the edges of my stitching fabric. It didn't cost much, and looks to be in good condition. When I got it, I looked in the box (original, with instructions) and said, "Yep, there's a serger in there" and put it in the closet. Yeah, I don't even know if it works. Shame on me. You see, I've been a bit intimidated by this innocent little machine even though it might make my crafting easier. But now that I'm working at a cross stitch store where operating a serger is a necessity, I think I've overcome my fear. I operate the one at work like a pro and can even re-thread the thing, even though it may take me a little time to navigate the threads through all of their little hook and loop mazes. And now I am ready to tackle my very own wee machine. It is kind of cute. Plus, it will be interesting to find out if it actually works. I'm determined. I'll keep you posted.

To prove that I actually have been doing some cross stitch, here's the progress on my current project (one of them). It's Christmas Box Ornaments by Country Garden Stitchery. I kind of can't wait to get to the metallic thread and bead part!

My other goal this week is to get "Gobble" all framed so he can be on display through Thanksgiving. Plus, Sheila and I will be headed to Joann's Crafts this week to pick up some supplies for a cute wreath project she found online. And I'm going to get some yarn for a special project.

I hope you have a fun Halloween! It's always fun to see all the neighborhood kids dressed up cute and excited to get a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. I'm going to leave you with one of my favorite Halloween pictures of all time. It just cracks me up every time I see it. These cute doggies belong to my niece and my brother and sister-in-law. I'm just jealous because I could never get my cats to wear costumes.

Stitching Myths & An Interesting Survey

2011-10-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

I've been doing cross stitch for a long time and have heard all kinds of generalizations about us stitchers. It's kind of sad to hear all of these false assumptions about me and my fellow stitchers and our favorite pastime. So not long ago, I decided to do a survey. A very informal, non-scientific survey, but my questions got some interesting answers. My survey was done on the 1-2-3 Stitch message board, which I like to visit. I asked three very straightforward questions hoping to debunk some of the meaner myths about stitching and got 95 replies.

Myth #1: People who do cross stitch are all old ladies. Sorry, I'm not buying this one. My survey showed that my respondents had an average age of 54. That's not an old lady age, especially since 50 is the new 40. I keep telling myself that. The youngest person surveyed was 23 and the person with the most birthdays was 84. I also know for a fact from working at The Stitch Store and from blogs that I read that there are quite a few women in their teens and 20's who share our love for cross stitch. Plus, I've noticed that there are some stitching guys who participate on the message board. So, sorry, cross stitch critics, you don't win this one.

Myth #2: Cross stitch is just a passing fancy and not something that you'll be interested in after this phase is over. Hah! is all I have to say about this one. The participants in my survey have been stitching for an average of 29 years! Sure, there were a few beginners in the group with less than 10 years (not really a beginner), but many had been stitching for 30, 40 and 50 years! Two of the most experienced had been working with needle and thread for 60 years! A phase? I think not.

Myth #3: Cross stitch is a silly pastime. I couldn't just sit there and do that. I have more important things to do. I've heard this one from a few people, and I'm sure that other stitchers have too. Quite a few years back this lady came over to my house for the first time. I had just framed three very small finished pieces of little garden scenes that I did on 18 count Aida. I was very pleased with the way these had turned out. She went right up to where they were hanging and asked me if I had done these. Then she looked closer at them and said, "Oh, that's so tedious." And then nothing. Nothing nice to say.

The answers to my question "Why do you stitch?" were all answered with obvious enthusiasm. There was a common thread (pun intended) running through all of the answers. I read the words "relaxing", "soothing", "stress-reducing" many times. Also, many participants said that they liked to stitch for an artistic outlet and to watch something grow and take shape. And there were those who liked to give gifts of something they made themselves. Then there were the answers that touched me. Like one lady who said that doing cross stitch keeps her mind off of her constant pain. Or those with health problems who said that it helps get them through some tough times. One lady is caring for her father who has Alzheimers and stitching takes some of her stress away.

I had to smile at the stitcher who said she can stitch while on her exercise bike! And how about the 84 year young lady who said "I enjoy it and I can still do it!" I want to be like her.

Sounds to me like cross stitch IS the "more important thing to do". We go out of our way to do it. We arrange get togethers, camps and just stitching with friends days. We plan our next project(s). We seek out fellow stitchers on the internet and Facebook and join groups. I share a lot of the reasons why people stitch, but another reason I'm glad I stitch is because of the many friends I've made through it.

Thank you to all who participated in my survey. Your overwhelming response served to show what a great group of people cross stitchers are! So keep on stitching and try to get others interested in it. And, naysayers, say what you will. But it would be easier just to join us. You know you want to.

Scissor Happy

2011-10-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that scissors are the one implement that crafters of all kinds have in their tool kits. People who sew have fabric scissors that have never cut paper. Scrapbookers treasure their pattern cutter scissors. Stitchers love a good pair of sharp embroidery scissors to snip those threads closely. Scissors are a topic of conversation on the cross stitch message board I like to visit and at Stitch Days alike. What kind do you like? How many do you have? Are expensive scissors worth it? Do you have the new Ginghers yet? Can you carry scissors onto an airplane? (The answer to this last question is yes, metal scissors with pointed tips are allowed, as long as the blades are less than four inches. BUT the TSA can prohibit any item on that's not on the prohibited list, meaning go ahead and carry them on, but it is possible that they could still be taken away. I've carried on small scissors the last four times I've flown without a problem. Just don't carry on your favorite/heirloom/expensive scissors.)

Like many stitchers, I have more than one pair of little scissors. So when the topic of "How do you store your scissors?" came up on the message board, I was interested. People shared photos of creative ways to store their scissors. Then my Facebook friend and fellow stitcher, Martha, posted a photo of her scissor storage and I immediately went to Ebay. My purchase was a glass flower frog. It think it has 16 holes, which I thought I'd never fill. Ha ha. It was very inexpensive and fit perfectly into a bowl I already had. Another fellow stitcher, Shannon, recently posted photos chronicling the steps to make a scissor holder board. Lovely! And let's not forget the creative scissor holders that Mark makes on the lathe. See my "Crafty Guy" post.

Soooooo, here's how not to use scissors. The other day at work, my bangs kept hanging in my eyes and just irritating me. Yesterday morning, as I was attempting to arrange my hair into something presentable, the bangs were being difficult so I got a sharp pair of scissors and snipped them to what I thought was a good length. Wrong. They now resembled the bangs on a somewhat unstable character in a movie I once saw. I was once told by a hairstylist that everyone does this. When I have to go in for a haircut in the next couple of weeks, the girl who cuts my hair will probably laugh. Sheila related an experience in which Fred gave her a trim which resulted in a Dutch boy look. I don't remember that. I'm pretty much over it and am dealing with it, but will probably never do it again. I think. And no, I won't be posting a picture of my new 'do.

I took my own advice this week and sat down and stitched a little more. I'm on my feet a lot at work, so it was good to get home and sit down for a while. And not feel guilty about it. Here's the result:

I'm happy with the way this is turning out. I thought I'd do the main stitching first and then go back and do the metallic thread and beads. It will make a very pretty bellpull.

Tomorrow is Stitch Day at The Stitch Store!
Looking forward to that. It's going to be a full house of stitching friends. Think we'll talk about scissors?

A Turkey & Time Management

2011-10-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

Whew, this has been a busy month. I'm not complaining. Most of what's been going on has been enjoyable. I'm finally getting used to the new routine that my new job is creating. I'm really liking it! I'm so lucky to have every Thursday off so that I can work at The Stitch Store. I was there this past Thursday after being absent last week and it was good to get back. As usual, it was a pleasure to help the customers with all of their stitchy needs. As for the rest of the days of the week, I can be scheduled for any of them. With the addition of extra working hours, I'm finding that I just need to remember to take some time for stitching or just puttering around in the craft room.

The good news is that the turkey is done! Now how can you not like this little feathered friend? Gobble has yet to be framed, but I already have the special frame made especially for him.

Chicky 2.0

Purse by Sheila

Now for something I haven't done in a while -- crocheting. If you need something square or rectangular, done in basic single crochet, I'm your gal. I've made quite a few baby afghans (and small big-people afghans) and scarves in my time. Yes, I am the expert when it comes to simple, basic crochet. One time, I even got crazy and made a ripple afghan! I will say that Matt really seemed to like the hipster man-scarves I made for him. A few weeks ago I found a skein of cotton yarn and started crocheting. Sheila will tell you that first I had to untangle the yarn, which took about 3 hours. And I ended up with a cute dish washing cloth. Pretty cool, huh? Maybe I should expand my crochet horizons and learn a new stitch. OK, now I have a new goal. I don't think I'll ever be as talented as my Auntie Helen. One year she gave Matt an Easter basket with cute little crocheted Easter eggs and chicks. I still have one of the chicks. The white one disappeared sometime after Ozzy chose it as his favorite toy. Oh, and look at what Sheila made on her first attempt at crocheting - a very cute little purse for Grace.

Coming up this week: I'd like to start a new project. It's "Christmas Box Ornaments" by Country Garden Stitchery. They're shown finished
as separate ornaments, but I'm going to stitch the three of them one on top of the other to make a little bell pull. It's all kitted up and ready to go, just in time for Saturday Stitch Day at The Stitch Store next week!
Have a wonderful week!

Too Busy To Stitch?

2011-10-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for me. First, there was the family get-together in Hiawassee, GA which was so nice. Beautiful weather, lots of laughs and all four of us siblings together. That doesn't happen very often. Then last weekend was stitch camp at The Stitch Store. Another reunion of sorts because in attendance were two friends from our first camp, and one from last year's camp. Plus, as a bonus, a new stitcher and friend joined us. And let's not forget Terrie, the owner of the Stitch Store who makes camp possible and wonderful. Camp is so relaxing because: a) we can stitch all we want; b) we don't have to cook or clean up; and c) it's just fun to yak with friends about stitching or anything we feel like. We had our Chinese gift exchange, which meant lots of "stealing" of goodies, but I think everyone was happy in the end. My gift was a cute Halloween chart, floss, fabric and candy, all put together in a cute Halloween carrier.

I did get in some good stitching time at camp. Here's my progress on my current projects, Kitty Kalendar and Gobble. But since camp, I've hardly picked up a needle. Right now, our son Matt is here for a rare mid-semester visit. It's great having him home. Yesterday, he sat down with me and helped me to spiff up my blog layout. A little bit of computer craftiness! What do you think?

Add to all of this a new job and I'm on overload. I'm a person who likes routine. And I like my stitching time and crafting time. So I think that tonight I will do a some stitching on Gobble because I'd like to finish him before Thanksgiving. Speaking of which, I've already heard two commercials reminding us that the holidays are right around the corner. How did that happen so quick?! I've also heard people talking about Christmas shopping that they already did! Who else has started shopping? Not me.

Thanks to everyone who has read, commented on, and decided to follow my blog. Feel free to leave a comment now and then so I'll know how I'm doing. I love comments and new followers!

For the present, I'm just going to enjoy the rest of Matt's visit and a few days off. Have a good week!

Finally Framed!

2011-09-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who had great ideas for how I can get going on my scrapbook, both here and on Facebook. Those were some wonderful suggestions that make total sense to me. I'm going to set some time aside for working on it.

This hasn't been the biggest stitching week for me. I've been a little tired and instead of taking out my stitching in the evening to do while watching TV (pretty impressive multitasking, huh?), I've tended to veg out in front of the TV. But I recently framed up three projects myself, which is quite an accomplishment. Stitchers often have a dilemma of what to do with finished projects. Let's see, you can have them framed, make a pillow, craft it into a bellpull or wall hanging, or sew a pin cushion. I know that there are other extremely creative things that people do with their finished cross stitch. The dilemma comes when we want to frame our finishes. Framing can be very costly and the more you stitch, the more $$$ you will part with.

A few years back, I decided to learn how to do my own framing. With the help of online instructions on how to pin my finished project to foam core board, and the discovery of American Frame, I am now a pretty good framer. American Frame is a good source for custom frames, mats and foam core. Plus, they'll cut a piece of plexiglass for you if you want. They include all of the finishing hardware too. The good part is that you can get a good result for a fraction of what the framing places cost, all for a little time and do-it-yourself work! Now, if I ever finish my giant UFO or do any other large project, it will go to the professionals. But for small stuff like what you see here, framing it myself just makes perfect sense.

From left to right: Snow White by Little House Needleworks; Joyful Summer by Country Cottage Needleworks; and I don't know what the one on the right is. I stitched this one in 1988, first time stitching on linen. I thought it was about time it was framed.

Scrapper's Block

2011-09-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

This is a plea to all of my scrapbooking friends out there. How do I get my scrapping mojo back? This is a scrapbook that I started two (hanging head in shame) years ago. Let me just say that I think scrapbooking is cool. Sheila loaned me a book that was full of examples and hints and it was so interesting to look at. What great ideas! I love all the stuff that goes with scrapping -- papers, punches, stamps, etc. etc. I'm especially enamored with the adhesive selection, like the little sticky roller (awesome). Plus I have completed one scrapbook in the past, and I must say that it turned out very well. And if you want to get really technical about it, I would put together an end-of-the-year book for each child during my preschool-teaching days. So I know what to do, I think. I have all of the stuff. Except for the "get up and do it".

The book in question will be a remembrance of our trip of a lifetime to London in 2009. While we were there, I knew that I wanted to do this, and reminded Mark and Matt to keep everything. Tube maps, ticket stubs, tour books, all the good stuff. And I took a lot of pictures. So here I am, with a nice bunch of interesting and colorful items to place in my book. When I took all of this stuff out over the weekend, I was pleased to see that I actually liked the three pages that I crafted! All I have to do now is get rid of this "scrapper's block" and get going again. But how? Am I overthinking this? Getting too far ahead of myself? Should I just concentrate on one page at a time? Is there a good way to organize all of the stuff I want to put into the book?

OK, fellow scrappers, please help me here. Any ideas, suggestions or criticisms you have will be appreciated, and I thank you in advance! When it's finished, I'll photograph it and post it here.

Think I'll Get Tired Of Stitching Cats?

2011-09-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am thoroughly enjoying stitching my current (one of them, anyway) project, Val's Stuff "Kitty Kalendar". Each time I finish a cat month, it's like I get to begin a new project! Like a little accomplishment. It's lots of fun filling in each little square and finding out what each cat is going to look like. Plus, it's nice to see how all of the Weeks Dye Works colors are going to look together. It was coincidental that I stitched the "April" cat in the raincoat and hat on the day we had the most rain in weeks. If you'll notice, the cats don't have their whiskers yet. They're stitched in long stitch and I'm afraid that they'll catch on stuff as I stitch. Those will go on last along with the cute buttons for each month.

My latest start is "Charmed Gobble" by Hinzeit. The first time I saw this stitched up, I knew that this would be a great addition to my framed seasonal finishes. I like to have something stitched that I can put in an easel stand and switch out for the seasons. I've got Halloween and Christmas covered, so a little Thanksgiving project like this is just the ticket. And that turkey is a cutie!

Next, I have to decide what else to start so I'll be all set for stitch camp at The Stitch Store later on this month! My sister, Sheila, and I are going, along with friends we met at previous camps and a few new stitchers! It will be a fun reunion and I plan to share pictures of this relaxing stitchy weekend.

Orts And A Happy Find

2011-09-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

When we moved two years ago, only two things broke. One was a wineglass which I think may have broken in transit. No big deal, easily replaced. The other was my thread bucket. It slipped right out of my hand as I was unpacking it and shattered into many pieces. This one WAS a big deal. Let me explain. My thread bucket is not a bucket at all, but a little crystal dish that was given to me by my mom. It was always right at hand on an end table to put all of my orts, or thread ends into as I stitched. Our son was pretty small at the time, and he was the one who gave this elegant little bowl the name "Thread Bucket". The name stuck. So you can see why Thread Bucket's demise hit me hard.

Every once in a while, I'd go on Ebay and see if I could find a replica. There were lots of pretty crystal dishes there, but not one that resembled my thread bucket. Until a couple of weeks ago. Yes, there it was! Maybe not exactly the same, but pretty close! So I bid and won it! For ninety nine cents!! It's slightly smaller and more rounded, but the same design. And yes, I realize it's not the one that my mom gave me, but the story about this find is something that Mom would have loved: Finding another one AND getting it for a bargain price! It now sits at my right hand on the end table next to my stitching spot. Mark has taken to calling it "Thread Bucket Junior".

One stitching term that I wasn't familiar with until a few years ago was "orts". I'd been calling them "thread pieces" or "thread ends", so was surprised when I found out that there was an actual term for them! The word "ort" is short for "old raggedy threads". I also looked the word up in the dictionary and the definition was "a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal". (Huh, food left over?) But I found it funny that this definition also involved a scrap. And when I realized that many stitchers saved their orts and displayed them in pretty containers, I decided to join the fun. My jar is sure to be filled up with lots of colorful orts as I work on my Kitty Kalendar. I'll post an update soon.

Ort Cat

Princess of Purses

2011-08-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

I admit it. Whenever I pass a purse department, I have to look. Sometimes I just glance and more often than not, I have to go on in there and check out what's new. Purses, totes, carryalls -- I like them all! I'm pretty fussy about what features a purse should have, so I don't have a gigantic collection, but I do have a few. Ahem, OK, more than a few. One time I went over to my sister Sheila's house and my niece, Grace asked me, "Is that a new purse, Auntie Cathy?" And I told her that indeed it was, because I'm the Princess of Purses. The look she gave me was either awe or total disbelief.

So for a long time, I searched for the ideal tote bag pattern to sew. Nothing appealed to my discriminating eye until I found an online tutorial on how to make a bag. These were good, no-nonsense instructions that I had no problem following. I made the first one out of a remnant of fabric and it turned out to be sort of a weird shape. So I adjusted the measurements to my liking, added heavy interfacing and a bottom reinforcer for body, sturdier and longer handles, interior pockets and a button and loop closure. And there you have it! Cute and totally usable tote bags!

Sheila uses hers (not pictured) for her cross-stitch stuff and Suzanne says that hers is perfect for her knitting. I even made some smaller versions of these for Emily and Grace. (Sorry, I had some trouble adding some photos.)

I've been thinking about how to improve on these totes. How about a zip top? An inset where a cross-stitched piece could go? A smaller version that could be truly called a purse?

It will be back to the drawing board as I contemplate these changes. One thing I know is that I'll always be able to find fabrics I like for these. Mainly I just go to the quilting fabrics display. Quilting fabrics work well for these bags and there are so many beautiful choices.

I know that I'm not the only Princess of Purses, and I hope that the others will approve.

Incense & Peppermints

2011-08-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

This has been a week of finishing, completing, and wrapping things up. Last Saturday was another fun Saturday Stitch In at The Stitch Store and I finally finished "Joyful Summer". I love the way it turned out and can't wait to give it to my nieces for their room. Now to frame it. What kind of frame?: white? light wood? silver? Opinions? The little turtle is not part of this stitched piece. He was just too cute to leave out.

We also got some no-so-much-fun things sorted out and wrapped up. And hopefully we won't have to think about them for a while.

There was a pretty surprise in our yard when our gardenia bush decided to give us one more beautiful, perfect flower before resting for the rest of the year. This shrub flowers in May and June, so it's kind of unusual to see one of these little blooms now.

Also, this week there was some sad news in the stitching/blogging community. Gazette94 has decided to stop her blog. This talented blogger and designer has been posting her lovely cross stitch designs for several years. And what's more, she was generously offering these designs free for the downloading. The blog is a treasure trove of hundreds of charts. I had just started following her blog a couple of weeks ago, and had been looking forward to what we would be seeing in the future So she will be missed. As she said on her final post: "Au revoir".

I'm continuing to work on my current project - Val's Stuff Kitty Kalendar. I am so glad that I stitched all of the little boxes first. Now that the measury-fussy part of it is done, I can just enjoy filling each one in. It just makes me smile and I have the perfect place in the craft room to hang it. Hopefully, this doesn't certify me as a crazy cat lady. It doesn't, does it? Because I'm not.

Wait! This is the only project I'm actively working on right now! My "serial starter" side says I must start a new one.

My blog now has 24 followers, and I am grateful for each one. Give me a comment once in a while and let me know how I'm doing. And for those of you who aren't followers yet, go ahead and follow! There is no cost or obligation.

Oh, and the "Incense & Peppermints" thing? That is just the song that has been stuck in my head for the past couple of days since I was on YouTube viewing 60's songs. It's not a bad song, but it's stuck and won't leave. And one word of warning: if you decide to watch and listen to this on YouTube, and if you choose the one with the peace symbol, be careful looking at that crazy color-strobing peacock that appears. It will make your eyes go wonky. And you may get this song stuck in your head.

For The Cat Fashionista

2011-08-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have a great appreciation for all kinds of things that people make by hand, whether it be cross-stitch, quilting, sewing, beading and jewelry making, woodworking or scrapbooking. The handmade items in this website, www.petoffice.co.jp/catprin/english/ , are no exception. I want that to be clear. But "The Tailor of a Cat Catprin" is saved in my bookmarked favorites mainly for one reason: my entertainment. The cats, or models, are adorable and look like they're patiently putting up with their owners' silliness because they are such good animal companions. But you know they're thinking, "OK, you got the picture. Now TAKE THIS OFF OF ME!"

I try to imagine what would happen if I were to try to put, say, the Anne of Green Gables headpiece on Moxie, or the Hat of Leopard on Cosmo. If I was even successful at putting these on their squirming and twisting heads, they'd spend the rest of the day trying to slap, bite or chew them off. So no, I won't be sending any yen to Japan.

But you have to appreciate the workmanship and the entrepreneurship here! I hope that they're successful in their venture and that there are felines all over Japan sporting Young Lady Blouses and Hats of Rabbits. And what's more, there is apparently some luck to be gained if you dress your cat up in one of these and then take his picture. Just something you might want to think about.

This is the only time I've ever put any kind of clothing on any of my cats. I think.

Joyful Summer

2011-07-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

This past week turned out to be a busy one, so not much time for creativity or craftiness. I did get a little stitching during the season premier of Project Runway. Quit laughing.

One highlight of the week was movie day at Sheila's! Emily, Grace, Sheila and I spent a fun afternoon eating popcorn and watching the Beatles movie Help! The girls had never seen the movie before, and Sheila and I hadn't seen it in a long time. It was as good as I remembered it and it was easy to see why the Beatles were so popular in their heyday and still are. Emily and Grace even opted for a double feature -- of Help! I guess they enjoyed it!

I also got to spend a couple of days working at The Stitch Store. It was a pleasure spending the days helping so many nice people. The store was visited by some "regulars", along with a few new faces! Needless to say, my scissors were busy cutting a whole lot of fabric! People seemed to be in the stitching mode during the last couple of days.

Hopefully I can get a little time this weekend to work on my current project, Joyful Summer by Country Cottage Needleworks. I'm stitching it on "Summer Sky" Jobelan, which is a fabric I love.Pretty floss colors and a summery fabric make this a good project to work on at this time of year.

Two Patriotic Finishes

2011-07-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

This must be the year of finishes. I don't think I've ever completed so many cross-stitch projects in one year. And it's not like I'm stitching all day, every day. Wait, I did stitch all day last Saturday, but that's not the norm for me. Maybe my needle is just going faster?

This first finish is not cross-stitch at all! It's some very cute cupcake creations that were made by Grace and Emily on the fourth of July. Now this is creativity! I have to say that these are very well done!

I put the last stitch in "America" by Little House Needleworks last Friday.

With all of these finishes, I really need to start doing some framing. With that thought, I wonder how many stitchers frame as they complete, how many complete and never frame, and how many just frame some projects. I'm in a fourth category: I have a few finishes, and will most likely frame all of them. More about that in an upcoming blog.

A Priceless Day Stitching With Friends

2011-07-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was a Stitch-In day at The Stitch Store . Sheila and I hadn't been to one in a while, so this was something we'd been looking forward to. As usual, it was a lovely day stitching with a group of wonderful ladies. The attendees vary from Stitch-In to Stitch-In, but that doesn't change the fun level. As I thought about our day, I realized that we stitchers vary in so many aspects: age, where we're from, children or no children, married or not, education, employment, etc. But it seems that we all like to talk, laugh, eat and most importantly, stitch. It's the thread that holds us together, pun intended. We probably disagree on things too, but those things are trivial when we're working with fabric and thread.

There's a Glory Bee chart called Stitching With Friends that expresses this perfectly. It says "spending an afternoon stitching with friends is priceless". How true!

So, Terrie, thanks for the day at your store and for all that you do for us. And the cake. Oh yes, the cake.

What Makes A UFO?

2011-07-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Before you start thinking I've gone a little kooky and am going to start talking about aliens and flying saucers, just wait a minute. If you keep reading, you'll find that the UFO's I'm referring to are known to us stitchers (and maybe other crafters) as UnFinished Objects. Do we all have them? Probably not all of us, but my guess is that many stitchers have a UFO or two hiding out somewhere in their stash.

Now, a Work In Progress (WIP) is a totally different thing than a UFO. In my book anyway. A WIP is something you're actively working on. You may not have picked it up in a couple of months, but it's an ongoing project that you intend to complete. The UFO, though, is more likely to be years old and your needle has not passed through that fabric in an embarrassingly long time. Nor are you sure that you will ever finish it. They're not necessarily bad projects; there is just something about them that makes it a) not fun; or b) difficult to work on. Maybe you've just come up with things to do that are more interesting. Or it's possible that the fabric you chose is suddenly a challenge for your aging eyes.

Case in point: my two UFO's: English Cottage Sampler by Theresa Wentzler and Angel of Divinity Stocking kit by Dimensions. When I bought the TW chart, I didn't know how, um, involved these can be. They're beautiful and that beauty comes with a price: blended threads, 7 shades of green, tons and tons of backstitching. And the stocking, well, it may look like it's almost done, but no. It's one of these designs that's 100% stitched over the surface, so there's so much more to do.

It's not totally out of the realm of possibility that I'll someday pick these up and start stitching, which is the reason I haven't thrown them out or given them away. I just have so many other things, I'd like to stitch in the meantime. So, alas, these two will just have to retain their UFO status for a while. But who knows? I might surprise you, and myself, someday.

A Little Creativity

2011-07-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

I should know better, but I bought some beads. Doesn't sound like a big deal, does it? If you saw my collection, however, you'd surely tell me that I should not buy any more beads. I found myself in Joann Etc. and saw these pretty mother of pearl looking flower pendants and knew that something had to be made with it. This is not the best photo in the world, but you get the idea. I hadn't made any jewelry lately, so it was fun getting back into working with beads and findings.

Also, the surprise of the week for me is the little pin cushion I made from my Blackbird Designs "Breath of Spring" cross stitch which I featured in an earlier blog. I knew I wanted to make it into a pin cushion as was suggested in the instructions in the chart, but decided to change the lace trim for a gathered ribbon effect called ruching. I found some pretty green sheer ribbon and ruched (is that a word?) away. Also interesting about this is that the pin cushion is filled with crushed walnut shells. This was also recommended in the directions. I had to go to the pet store to get these and then buy this giant bag. Apparently birds use these for something. But look! They make excellent pin cushion filling! Almost like a little beanbag. I'm really happy with the way this project turned out. My husband even remarked on my finishing work. Huh.

Crafty Guy

2011-06-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

I never knew my husband to be particularly crafty. Oh, there was that one time when our son was a toddler and they both got wrapped up in creating with Play-Doh. They ended up making every Winnie the Pooh character known. So cute!! Why did I not take pictures? He also builds things very well. For example, today he's working on his latest project -- the ultimate garage storage system. No purchased plans for him!

So when a kind neighbor gave him a "vintage" wood lathe, I was pleasantly surprised to see what came spinning off of that thing. One of my favorites is the pencil holder he made for me. Then there are the embroidery scissor holders, which are great for us stitchers. If you look closely, one of them features a "captured ring" that moves, but doesn't come off. How he did this is a wood-
working mystery to me.

The little wooden box that kind of looks like a cross between an apple, an acorn and a pumpkin is another favorite.

There are more -- bowls, candle holders, Christmas ornaments and Easter eggs. Each creation is a unique treasure. I'll post more as they come off the lathe.

Oldies But Definitely Goodies

2011-06-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

In my ongoing quest to organize my craft supplies, I've been a little surprised at how much stuff I was willing to part with. Attempting organization also uncovered a couple of things from my past that I had forgotten about. One is a small cross stitch sampler that I stitched in 1988. I know this because I conveniently stitched that it was "wrought" by me with the date right beside it. Also interesting is that this is my first piece stitched on linen, and it looks like 32 count. I don't know what the pattern is, but I'm pretty sure it came out of a cross stitch magazine. Why have I never framed this? It's a nice pattern and the colors are very pretty. Now that it's been unearthed, it will be getting framed.

The next item is a little strange, but I like it. It's a pillow kit that I bought from Avon in the late 70's. No year on this one but I'm thinking about 1978. Instead of cross stitch, this little number features yarn embroidery done on stamped fabric. The kit originally came with a pillow back in a very shocking shade of turquoise, which must have hit the circular file sometime ago. Despite the funky color combos and the fact that this looks a little dated, it will become a little throw pillow.

See what you might come up with when you decide to organize! A lot of trash (as in my case), and possibly some treasures.

Slackercat?

2011-05-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

I knew I hadn't contributed anything to my blog in a while, but not since October, 2010? Especially when the whole idea of a blog is to actually write something in it once in a while. It's not as if I've been slacking off, craftwise. Just to prove it, here's what I've been up to. The Christmas themed one is Peppermint Twist by Blue Ribbon Designs. I used overdyed threads for the whole project - first time! Enjoyed working with Weeks threads.

The winter scene is Snow White by Little House Needleworks. Again, I ventured out of my comfort zone for this one, using silk thread. Very nice. I love the little flower baskets with the rabbits -- Breath of Spring by Blackbird Designs. This will become a pin cushion as I try my hand at something else new. And finally the two cute bugs are Mill Hill beaded kits. I made these to decorate the room of a very adorable little boy.
These finishes are quite an accomplishment in a relatively short time. Well, for me.

By working at The Stitch Store I've been inspired to do more stitching. Everything is right there, especially new charts. Always very tempting. And also not a bad thing!

The Bulletin Board Project

2010-10-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been involved in some sort of craftiness. It's just that I've been stitching a lot, but not completing anything. I'll work on that. I do want to show you a very cool bulletin board that I made for my crafting area. I knew I wanted some kind of board to tack things like photos and cards to, but it had to be more fun than an ordinary cork board.

So I went online and located these directions supplied by the DIY Network and found them easy enough to follow. For the fabric selection, I enlisted the help of Sheila, who has an eye for choosing and combining different colors. The fabric I chose is a quilt fabric in an up-to-date paisley print in aquas, blues, tans and browns. The rope trim is a cream color and the ribbon for the diagonals is brown. Luckily I have a husband who has all kinds of wood tools, including saws, so I just put in my order for a plywood rectangle in the recommended size.

I found the instructions easy to work with and soon I was ready to staple. Let's just say that the hand-held (not electric) staple gun and I haven't always been friends. But now that I learned to use it correctly, the job of stapling the fabric to the back of the plywood was quickly completed. The most difficult part of stapling was trying to figure out how to reload the staples into the thing. I tried one way, then another, then decided to break for lunch. When I got back, that little light bulb popped on over my head (that seems to happen a lot to me) and I figured out that the way to load staples was the most counterintuitive process I've ever seen.

Close to completing my bulletin board project, I realized some things. First of all, all of those giant staples would probably scratch the heck out of the wall, so I hot glued a piece of fabric onto the back of the board once I was sure I was done with stapling. Then, I noticed that the scraggly ends of the rope trim are going to be visible. I solved this problem by buying some pretty big buttons and hot gluing one over the ends and another directly across the board from that one. Finally, after hanging the board on the wall and placing some items in it, I found that they were falling through. I knew that I would have to secure the places where the ribbons criss-crossed each other. Ordinary thumbtacks and a hammer were all that were needed for that. If I made another one of these, I'd use a thicker loft batting. I think that would solve that problem. After the thumbtacks were in place, I glued some little flat glass acorns right onto the thumbtacks. I don't know where I got these and what I intended to use them for, but they were just the right thing for this project.

The great thing about this bulletin board project is that it can be done for very little money. Most fabric stores have a nice selection of remnants and you don't need that big of a fabric piece for this. Plus, the remaining supplies can all be purchased very inexpensively. This was a fun project to do and no special skills were needed, thank goodness. I'm all about simplicity.

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Wish I Had A "Before" Photo

2010-09-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

While at an cool antique mall out of town, I happened to find this little cabinet. I'd been wanting additional bathroom storage and this fit the bill, size-wise. Otherwise, it was a little beat-up looking. Big deal, nobody's going to actually see it, right? A previous owner had painted the outside of it a dreary maroon color and left the drawers the original (I think) wood grain. After looking at it a while in it's new abode, a little light bulb popped on over my head. Wouldn't this look so cute painted white? With some nice little ceramic drawer pulls? Since Mark is the furniture painter in the family, he got all crafty with it and TA-DA!, now we have this sweet little cabinet that fits in ever so nicely in the bathroom. Oh, and just to be technically correct about furniture painters in the family, I just remembered that Matt is too! Check this out.

I also have a new finish of my own to share. This is "Black Cats' Halloween" by Waxing Moon Designs. It was fun to stitch and easy, considering I used only black floss. My plan is to have it framed by Halloween. It would be fun to decorate a black frame in a Halloween theme. We'll see. My, how crafty we've been.

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A Finish!

2010-08-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that I finished the Pledge Of Allegiance flag that I've been working on. Everyone who sees this thinks that it's some combination of complicated stitches, but it's just good old cross stitch. Well, and some backstitching. But complicated it is not. I'll be keeping this one.

Now I'm on to some Halloween stitching. I don't do a whole lot of Halloween stitching, but I found one with a vintage-looking cat that I couldn't resist. I'll post photos when I get a little more done.

What I've Been Up To, Stitching-Wise

2010-08-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

The thing about having a knee injury is that you're limited in the things you can do. Anything that involves going low to the ground or high up isn't going to happen. So there go my plans for straightening out those pesky low chaotic kitchen cabinets or painting the room that we swear was last painted by drunken chimps. No gym time either.

So all of this gave me more time for stitching, which was actually a very good thing. I also started working at The Stitch Store, and that causes, what? Inspiration? Temptation? Yes. Talk about a kid in a candy store. All I know is that I've been doing a lot more stitching lately.

Here's my current project, I Pledge Allegiance, by Bask Designs.

I'm currently working on the last red stripe and then have to stitch the words of the pledge around the flag. Very cool.

And finally, two of my earlier 2010 finishes, Little Ballerinas and Princess Parade by Country Cottage Needleworks. I stitched these
for my nieces' newly redone bedroom.

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More craftiness will be coming soon.

My Crafty Roots

2010-07-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've decided to change my blog to include the other crafts, aside from cross-stitch, that I like to do. And some that other people do too. So here is the relaunch of my totally revamped blog.

Crafting is something I've been involved in as far back as I can remember. As a child, I loved to color, draw and paint, and a new box of crayons was always cause for celebration. When I got older, my mom let me use her paint-on tube paints to color designs onto pillowcases. I doubt if they make these things anymore. It was a chemical-smelling product in a tube and you drew over a transfer. It probably wouldn't sound so interesting to many people, but it was truly fun to my crafty little self. And what about the paint-by-number sets which didn't look good no matter who did them. Didn't matter, it was lots of fun!

Later on, Mom taught me to actually cross stitch and do crewel embroidery on the pillowcase transfers. That's what started my love for cross-stitch and the world of floss and fabric. Soon I got into sewing and someone gave me a bunch of Barbie clothes patterns. My Auntie Helen was a avid seamstress and she'd pack up her remnants for me. I'd gladly trek all four blocks to her house for a bag of doll clothes fabric. And no sewing machine for me! I was probably about eight years old, so all sewing was done by hand. I remember making Skipper a really cute black and white print summer dress and Barbie was decked out in a thoroughly mod Palazzo pants sleeveless jumpsuit outfit. I ended up making lots of clothes for my dolls, using my tiny hand stitches and plenty of sew-on snaps. I was about 10 when I finally got to learn to use the sewing machine. As a teenager, I became pretty good at sewing clothes for myself, sometimes choosing patterns that were way beyond the scope of my knowledge just to see what I could learn.

There were other crafty adventures too: Crochet -- stylish drawstring purses! And beading -- who can forget those fun beaded choker necklaces we made in the early 70's? And all you needed was a little tube of beads and some elastic cord. We decorated blown-out eggs with sequins and glitter for our Easter egg tree, and when Christmas came around, we stuck pins full of beads and sequins into styrofoam balls for ornaments. One Easter I was totally enthralled with making little Easter baskets out of plastic butter containers and pipe cleaners. It seems like I was always doing something.

As I look back, I realize how much these early craft projects influenced the kind of crafts I do today. I also can't ever remember being bored as a kid. I'm glad that my mom encouraged the artistic sides of both my sister and me. Sheila shared many of my craft endeavors, and then some.

In future posts I'll be talking about my current crafty adventures, along with those of other crafters. I plan to include lots of photos and other info about my projects. So stay tuned. I think this is going to be fun!

The Best Kind Of Summer Camp

2009-08-31T07:49:00.001-07:00

When I was in the sixth or seventh grade, the one thing I really wanted to do was to go to Camp Lawrence. If I remember correctly, this was a week-long Catholic summer camp for elementary and middle school age kids. For some reason, going to camp was the big thing that year. Everyone was going. My friends and I started making lists of the things we needed to take. All of our enthusiasm didn't make any difference to my parents though, or to the parents of many of my friends. It was a no-go. So my equally deprived best friend and I spent camp week at home, making hippie love bead necklaces, riding our bikes, and being annoying.

Well, the good kind of karma struck when I found out about Camp Iwannastitch, which is held at my favorite cross stitch shop, The Dogwood Patch. The store itself is located in Hiawassee, GA, with mountains and Lake Chatuge in view. What a beautiful setting for a relaxing, stress-free weekend!

My sister, Sheila, and I booked our camp spots with the expectation that it would be as wonderful as last year's and we were not disappointed! Armed with our stitching and supplies, we made the trip through the winding roads of the North Georgia Mountains. We arrived on Friday afternoon to greetings from the store owner, Terrie, and our fellow campers. The store was stocked with fabulous charts, floss, fabric and supplies, plus chocolate in the form of candy and brownies. Terrie and her husband, Kenneth, are great hosts and always made sure we had everything we needed. Who could ask for anything more?

So from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon, we stitched, ate (the food was good too), shopped, played games, had some great conversation and then stitched some more. Some people might be confused as to how this could be fun. They wonder how we can derive pleasure from "just sitting around and stitching for that many days". One of the other campers summed it up best when she said that you would only understand if you were a stitcher.

I finally finished Leaping Cat and started Little Ballerinas by Country Cottage Needleworks while at Camp Iwannastitch. It was a good feeling finishing something because I haven't been stitching all that much lately. I think I got a stitching jump-start! Now I'm excited to keep going with my current project.

None of us left until we absolutely had to on Sunday. We finished up our shopping and said goodbye to Scooter, Terrie's newest kitten. We said our sad goodbyes to Terrie and our fellow campers, who we all consider to be new friends. There was also an agreement made to attend camp together next year! It will look a little different next time because Terrie is moving her store to Buford, GA. It's new name will be The Stitch Store. I will definitely be back!

So They Loaded Up The Truck And They Moved To Berk-e-ley

2009-08-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

I had never received so many astonished looks than when I told people that yes, we were going to drive to Berkeley, CA to move Matt to grad school. Then after we got back, people were more inclined to tell us that we were nuts when we told them that we had done the drive in 3 days. From Atlanta to Berkeley. And, no, we didn't break any land speed records in the process.

What we found was that driving on I-40 is not an interesting trip, even though I had never visited most of the states we drove through. I'm sure that all of these states have their lovely views, exciting cities and interesting attractions. We just didn't get to see them.

We saw some weird stuff though. Near Conway, AR is Toad Suck Park. We saw the sign for this sometime late in the afternoon during the first day, just when we were starting to get punchy. My traveling companions laughed in merriment, while I wondered why they would give what was probably a perfectly nice park such a revolting name. Later in the day, we met a very nice Starbucks lady in Little Rock who told us that she used to live in the city we just moved to. Small world!

Amarillo, TX boasts The Big Texan, which describes itself as a steak ranch. The big draw here is that they'll give you your meal free if you order the 72 oz. (that's four and a half pounds, for all of the mathematically challenged) steak and eat all of it. And all of the sides that come with it. Oh yeah, one more thing, you have to finish it in ONE HOUR! Neither Mark nor Matt was up to the challenge, so we travelled on.

One place along our route that I would have liked to visit is The Freshwater Pearl Museum. It sounds wonderful -- a guided tour, lunch and a jewelry showroom! I was driving at the time and was soooo tempted to pull off the highway, but I decided to save it for another time. It's not too far away from home.

By day three we were in the desert and it got seriously hot. Yes, our car thermometer said 105 degrees. We were somewhere in California when this picture was taken. The desert is pretty fascinating at first (Look! A cactus!), but after about 10 hours you find yourself wishing for the cool, green mountains of North Georgia.

And another bit of interesting info? When you enter California, you have to go through California Customs! Ha Ha! They actually stop your car and ask if you have any fresh fruits, vegetables or plants. We had none of the above, so we didn't get to find out what would happen if you did. Would they confiscate your apple?

You can only imagine how happy we were to arrive in Berkeley on Sunday night. It truly looks like Matt's kind of place to live. I predict that he'll be happy and successful there. Even though we'll miss him, both Mark and I are glad that he found a good place to live and learn for the next 5 (?) years.

We'll be visiting the beautiful San Francisco Bay area again for sure, but next time we'll be flying the friendly skies.

Cats On The Move

2009-07-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

While we're all a bit stressed out about this move, I can't help but worry about our three feline companions. Everything I've read tells me that moving is highly stressful for cats especially. Dogs do a much better job at getting used to their new surroundings. But we have cats and we better start looking forward to that extra challenge.

There are so many websites and articles devoted to moving with your cat and getting him acclimated to his new environment. One website tells me not to pack in front of the cats. A former neighbor of ours used to travel a lot. Whenever she brought out her suitcase, one of her cats barfed on it. Now that's a statement. Another article says that seeing the rooms in their familiar house empty can make cats feel unstable. We've emptied out rooms before to clean carpets and the cats seemed to think it was great fun! What an adventure!

I already know that our three - Cosmo, Ozzy and Moxie - are going to hate the travel part. Luckily we'll only have to drive for an hour or so to get to the new house, but none of them have ever ridden this long in a car. Well, that I know of. And they all HATE riding in cars, although to varying degrees.

Cosmo: REALLY, REALLY hates cars.
Ozzy: REALLY hates cars.
Moxie: Kind of doesn't like riding in cars.

We've decided that we are going to divide the cats up and take one each. I'll take Moxie!! Oh yeah, one website tells us not to put your cat in the back of the moving van. What? Someone would do that? Another says to play classical music when you're transporting the kitties. Hmmmm. Yet another advises us cat movers to ignore their howling while in the car. Uh huh.

One of my favorite pieces of advice is to communicate with your cat on a regular basis and include him in your plans. Also you're supposed to "send your cat thought pictures of your new home". This was a gem. But I might do it.

My biggest concern is getting our three kitty friends used to our new home. From what I've read, this can be extremely tricky. Many of the articles I've read offer very good advice about confining the cats to one room in the new house where they can just chill out. This will be their room for a while so it needs to have everything in it to make them comfy, like their litter box, food, blankets and toys. OK, we can do that. Then after a few days you can start to keep the door open. There are also products that can help to calm your cat. One is an actual plug-in thing that you put in their room. Who knew?

The thing that scares me the most is that this acclimation period can take up to six weeks!

I'll keep you posted.

A Very Moving Experience

2009-07-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

Finally, after 14 months of our house being on the market, it seems that we will be moving! It's something we've been planning for several years now. We just didn't anticipate putting our home up for sale during the worst housing market in recent history. Here's a quick timeline of our house-selling attempts:

4/08 House goes on the market. Bad housing market? Who cares! Our house is FABULOUS. It will be quickly snapped up by a lucky buyer!

10/08 There have been only 4 showings during the past 6 months. Fabulous or not, no one seems interested. Take house off market for three months to enjoy holidays. It's tempting to totally stop cleaning the house during this period.

1/09 New real estate agent. We're hopeful. Reduce price. By a lot.

4/09 We have several showings during the first couple of weeks of April alone. This is encouraging. Finally an offer, but it falls through when potential buyer decides she must file bankruptcy.

6/09 Lots more showings. What's going on with the market? Another offer in late June, but we are extremely cautious.

7/09 Looks like fabulous house is finally sold. The appraisal went well, the inspection is over and all of the "problems" are being fixed as I write this. I will be so glad when the haggling part of this sale is finally over. Moving won't even seem so bad after all of this contract back-and-forth stuff.

Or will it?

Fifty miles is not a long way to go when moving. I know this first hand because about twenty years ago, we moved 750 miles. With a toddler. About 10 days before Christmas. In the snow. And we packed everything by ourselves. Was I crazy? I was like some kind of modern pioneer woman cramming newspaper-wrapped chachkis into a box with a baby on my hip. The strange thing was, I didn't even give it a second thought; it was just what I had to do.

Now, 20 years later, the process seems monumental. We figure we'll have approximately 17,000 boxes of stuff alone. And this is after we "went through" all of our junk and got rid of a lot. Where did we get all this stuff?

But in the end I know that it will be totally worth it. We love the area we're moving to. The new house is wonderful. We'll be closer to my sister and her family and to my brother and sister-in-law's cabin in the mountains. And the cats are so looking forward to it.

By the way, this is not how Ozzy will be traveling to his new abode. We will NOT be packing him. I just wanted to throw that disclaimer in. He just thinks that cardboard boxes are fabulous.

Cathy

A Small Stitching Sampling

2009-07-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

As promised, I'm including some actual cross stitch photos today. I love to see what other people are stitching, and I hope that you'll appreciate my stitching as well. I've often chosen projects by seeing other stitchers' work. There's lots of inspiration just seeing the actual stitched piece.

The first photo, Leaping Cat by La-D-Da, is my current work in progress. I'm stitching it with DMC on 32-count linen. This project is just for fun and it's something I'd like to frame and hang in our new house, er, the potential new house. (We're cautiously optimistic today.) This one's fun to stitch -- all whole stitches, no backstitching, pretty colors. And of course, it features a cute kitty, and he'll look much cuter once I stitch his whiskers.

The pillow you see above is a chart called Square Dance from a New Stitches magazine published sometime in the mid-90's. This is probably one of my favorite things that I've stitched. I used 14-count navy blue Aida for the background and something called Aida Plus for the cream color squares. Basically I stitched the Aida Plus squares, cut them out and then attached them to the blue Aida by cross stitching them in red. Do they even make Aida Plus anymore? It's great stuff. I just haven't seen it in stores lately.

This is a box with a stitched piece in the lid called "Woodland Flowers" from the book Amish Quilts to Cross Stitch by Jeanette Crews Designs. If there's one thing I'm not, it's a quilter, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that quilts are beautiful. Quilters are true artists. So I figure that the next best thing is to cross stitch quilt blocks. This block is made up of a collection of wonderful colors with a black background, stitched on white evenweave. I purchased the box from a company called Patches 'n Planks which sells gorgeous handmade wood items. This box was made for a good friend for her birthday. I think I need one of these for me. OK, put that in the mental "To Be Stitched" file. Now THAT'S a post for another day!

I hope you like the samples of my stitching you see here. Maybe I've inspired someone? I'll be posting more photos in the future. And other stuff too. Stay tuned.

Cathy

Yippee! A New Cross Stitch Blog!

2009-06-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. After thinking about starting a cool cross stitch blog for a while, I'm finally doing it. I've visited a lot of lovely cross stitch related blogs, and I've decided to join the fun. After all, you can't have too much of a good thing, right?

I've been doing some kind of stitching since I was about 8 years old. My mom used to stamp patterns on pillow cases, which I would happily embroider or cross stitch. Mom was smart -- she found something to keep me occupied during those summer breaks! One day a friend of my mom's asked us to go to the 5 & 10 (known to us kids simply as "the dime store") and pick up some DMC floss in a color I'd never in my life heard of -- ecru. Maybe this was the first time I noticed the beautiful rainbow of DMC colors carefully arranged in order in the basement of the dime store. Wow, this was cool.

I still love that color palette, and I still mostly use DMC. There are so many other wonderful flosses out there and I will be trying those in the future and sharing my results and opinions here. When it comes to fabrics, I have branched out! Other than aida, I've used linen and evenweaves. My favorites are 28 count Lugana and Jobelan. I really like those fabrics. So soft and a pleasure to stitch on. I am not a fast stitcher and I probably would stitch more if I could leave my stitching stuff out all of the time. This is due to my cats. You cat owners out there know why this is. If you don't, I will tell you that it involves lengths of floss, floss bobbins, needles and the strange desire to park their furry bodies on any kind of fabric they've never experienced before.

Okay, so you've noticed the unusual title of my blog. When you visit here, you'll be treated to book reviews, chats about jewelry making and beading, an occasional recipe, rants and raves, the cats, moving, framing and anything else I think is fun that day. And I will include photos of my cross stitch works in progress and finishes.

Please check back regularly. I hope that you'll find this a fun place to visit.

Cathy