The Year's Past Projects

The year is just about over, and I am looking back at all I have finished projects and what I am still in the process of finishing.

In January of this year, the icy white days, inspired me to work on my white and cut work projects. Even though this basket is finished, I still want to add something to the corners of this tablecloth.
I also showed you, blogging friends, an easy way to transfer patterns for embroidery.

In February, the little Girl Scouts were selling the most adorable cookies, that reminded me of my grandmother's buttons.

In March, wildflowers were inspiring me to match colors and to get busy stitching.

In April, I decided to use up my stash of assorted cotton yarns by crocheting this granny square afghan. Although I have many squares crocheted, I am still not finished with this.

In May, I showed you all a vintage table cloth, that I removed previous stitching on and embroidered the way I love....this also, I am not finished with.

June found me digging through my stash of scraps and miniature quilt patterns ,

and through July, making a couple to hang on the wall.

In August, I experimented with small pieces of embroidery, making them into pretty buttons.

I also started making embroidered towels with matching wash cloths.

The whole month of September, found me staying up till the wee morning hours, to finish 7 sets of towels for a customer.....which I did complete!

In October, I was in the mood to embroider small coasters.

In November, I fell in love with black embroidery with just a splash of color. I really do love this technique!

In December, I made the decision to start accumulating my embroidered work as well as my crocheted wash cloths, in hopes of selling at the Farmer's Market next July. I am still working on these projects.....along with other great ideas.

Now......how about you????

Do you have a project that you have been working on all year and not yet through? Or have you finished what you have been working on? I would love to hear!

Merry Christmas

May your stocking be filled with linen and floss,

May your home be filled with cheer,

May you find enough projects to stitch,

and to keep you until next year!

Have a blessed Christmas!

What were you stitching on August 31, 1997?

August 31, 1997.........I remember that day well. I was up at 2:00 AM, stitching on a beaded tree skirt, while my little ones were asleep and my husband was working the night shift. With very small children at that time, I did not get much sewing done, until the wee hours of the morning, when they were not needing my attention, plus, it helped me survive the loniliness when my husband was away.

The reason I remember this date so well is not only was I finished with the tree skirt, which I had started the past June, but as I was watching the news, the tragic news......Princess Diana was gone......tragically killed in an auto accident.....I just could not believe it! As I was getting ready to retire for the night, my mind still filled with the tragic news, I heard my rabbits outside crying. I ran outside to find that dogs had attacked the hutches. What rabbits that were not killed in this attack, were horribly injured and at 3:00 AM, the local vet was at my house, putting them down for me. Such a tragic sad night.

Although I remember these sad things when this piece was finished, when I look at the designs, it reminds me of the the happy Christmas times when our children were very small....

and all Santa had to bring was baby dolls, trucks, and play dough......such sweet, simple times.

I never did cut the piece to fit around the bottom of our tree. I knew it would soon be ruined by small hands and pets. Instead it has always been draped across our old piano and is still in "new condition." On the back is a label that I fixed, stating the dates when I began and finished, along with a small note about Princess Diana. Many years and generations from now......when I am no longer stitching on this earth, someone will have this in their possession and will probably go research who Princess Diana was.

Now how about you? Were you stitching on something or creating when something "big" happened? I would love to hear!

Washcloth Pattern

I have been asked If I would share the pattern for this washcloth.....and of course! I would be more than glad to. Now I kind of made this up as I went based on a gingham afghan design. I am not that good at writing pattern instructions.... the best thing to do is to go to this link and follow the gingham pattern, but use only 2 colors instead of 3. To make a washcloth size, I chained 50, and then worked my wash cloth in single crochet.

Inspired Crochet Design...http://inspiredcrochetdesign.blogspot.com/2007/10/free-pattern-gingham-ghan.html this lovely lady has a lot of wonderful patterns and helped me understand how to do the gingham squares. This is so easy to make and you can use any color combination. So here you go....enjoy creating!!

Christmas turns into country

I decided it was time to make something "Christmasy" or at least with a little bit of Christmas color.

I completed this soft little wash cloth.......

and also played with more "black with a splash of color" embroidery.

When I put the two together, they came out more like "country kitchen", which I love the look of. I am going to make sets like these to sell at the farmer's market in July- October of this coming year. How about you? Do you see red and white a lot in kitchens.....or blue? What colors do you like kitchens do be in most? I would love to hear.

White Pillow Cases

Although this is the season that I should be stitching on Christmas things,

I worked on my white work pillowcases this week.
I have been working on different sets of white work pillowcases, in between my sewing orders. My plan is to have 3 sets finished to give to each one of my children......maybe when they marry. I would like to monogram them as well when the time comes. I have always loved the look of antique and vintage linens done in white and monogrammed with someones initials. I think it was such a wonderful thing for someone to work on such items and then to hand them down to some lucky recipient. My children, at their young stage in life at this time, will not appreciate any thing like this....so I am stitching and then placing them away for a later date. How about you? Have you had any linens made for you when you were married? Have you made anything for your children's wedded life? I would love to hear!