Summer Garden Pin Cushion Finish!

When I started the Summer Garden Pin Cushion project, I had a "let's see what happens" attitude.  I hadn't embroidered in a long time, and I certainly didn't know how to do all of the suggested stitches.  But I had been wanting to learn how to make one of these sectioned pin cushions and this was my opportunity. 

And just look:  It has been completed.  I am very amazed and maybe a little proud of myself.

I took my pin cushion to Stitch Day last Saturday.  As it was being passed around by my fellow stitchers, I commented that it was like my baby.  I mean, I'd worked on it since when?  Last summer?  I carefully chose colors and attempted to master new-to-me embroidery stitches.  And when my friend Thea said that I probably don't even want to stick a pin in it, I had to agree!  But I will.

Don't laugh at me when I tell you that making that button scared me a little. 

I liked this project a lot.  There was no pressure to get things done by a certain date.  The instructions were very clear and there were detailed illustrations to guide you along the way.  Colors were suggested, but we could change them to what we liked.  If I couldn't master a stitch (bullion stitch, you still elude me!), I simply substituted another one with good results. 

Also, now I have the skills to make a sectioned pin cushion out of other fabric if I want. 
The materials I used for this are:  linen cross stitch fabric, embroidery thread, an ugly button (yes, that's what's inside the cute button), perle cotton, and crushed walnut shells for the inside.  A sewing machine is also needed to sew the two circles of fabric together.

If you want to try your hand at this, just go to the Summer Garden Pin Cushion Tutorial at the Fiberluscious blog.  When you see the photos and instructions, you might be inspired!

Resolutions... Or Are They Merely Suggestions?

I'm not a big New Year's resolution-maker.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but a resolution is just a decision to do something, right?  If my memory serves me, then I've made resolutions in March and September.  And every other month of the year.  For some reason, though, the new year has me thinking up new ideas for stitching and crafting and they've kind of turned into Stitching and Crafting Resolutions.  Here are some of them:

**Finish some WIPs.  This is my #1 goal.  I only have about 5 WIPs.  Two of them are very small. 
                   Is this an attainable goal?  Yes!

**Stitch one Christmas ornament every month.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a dozen ornaments stitched by next Christmas?!  
                   Is this reasonably do-able?  I should probably change it to one every other month, and if I happen to stitch more, then Yay!

**Actually attempt some of the crafting ideas I've been saving on Pinterest.  I have a lot of craft-oriented pins -- what am I waiting for?  One per month?  
                   Is this a realistic goal?  Depends on the project.  

**Learn to crochet items that require something other than single crochet, and don't panic if the project is not rectangular or square.
                   Can it be done?  Of course.

**Attempt some new ornament finishing techniques.
                   Can I do this?  Yes.

**Organize the craft room.
                   Is this a realistic goal?  This one is an absolute necessity.  

That last one.  The craft room.  Lately I've misplaced several things, only to find them later in places that made no sense.  Sure, my craft room may look clean and relatively neat.  But stuffing items into boxes just to make the place look tidy is no solution.  I've got a great craft closet, but without some organization, I have no idea what's in those boxes until I open them and look.  So a lot of organizing  and some labeling is in order.  That will be a day of fun.  Ha ha.  I'm pretty sure that the end result will be worth it!

So what do you think of my list?  Am I going to stick to these resolutions?  I'm thinking of them more as suggestions for enriching my craftiness.   I like that -- "enriching my craftiness".  If I keep these in mind, I'll be likely to act on them and have fun in the process.  So let's see what happens in 2015.

Speaking of getting things done, here is my progress on the Summer Garden Pincushion.

That's right, ALL of the embroidery is finished!  I worked on it at Stitch Day last Saturday and finished it up yesterday.  Now to assemble the pincushion.  You can find all of the instructions for this project at the Fiberluscious blog. 

Now I'm off to get dinner into the crockpot and then enjoy the rest of this gray, typical January day working on some stitching. 

And The Garden Grows

Even though summer is a distant memory, there have been some new flowers blooming here.  I continue to work on my Summer Garden Pincushion.  The ongoing tutorial is featured on the Fiberluscious blog.  Mums highlight the latest section.  I'm learning and re-learning many embroidery stitches by participating in this project.  For example, the fly stitch is new to me and is excellent for little leaves. 

I like the relaxed pace of this tutorial.  I don't feel pressured to get something done really quickly or to "keep up".  It's a project I can easily pick up and work on when a new section is posted, and then put away until the next part of the tutorial.  No hurrying is fine with me.

New product alert!  Well, new to me anyway.  I started using a Frixion pen for marking my stitching area.  The pen mark is a lot thinner than the disappearing ink marker (the blue lines) I was using.  This is especially handy when working in such a small space.  Best of all, the Frixion pen markings disappear with heat! 

My progress so far.

So far so good.  It will be fun to see the next installment's flower selection. 

On the stitching front, I finished an ornament that I'll be giving to someone for Christmas so it will remain a secret for the time being.  I used a finishing technique that I learned on the blog "Learn To Finish With The Twisted Stitcher" and I'm extremely happy with the result!  I'm also very close to finishing the stitching on the "Song of the Season" mystery sampler that I've been working on for quite a while.  I expect to be able to post pictures of that very soon!