SAL: Current Christmas

At my last posting for this SAL I had shared my finish of ‘Happy Camper’, framed it and planned to give it as a gift to our friends who bought a similar looking vintage trailer. Well, that has not happened yet. In these past 3 weeks my husband became ill and wound up hospitalized and I came down with covid. These last 3 weeks to say the least has been nothing short of exhausting for us both. He is home and I am 5 days negative and were both thankful this bump in the road is over. I am looking forward to getting together with our friends soon.

As I began to think about a new project through my covid haze I decided on Christmas themed and found (2 ) on eBay of vintage Current Critters set of 4 Christmas Cross-stitch cards. I have done this type of Christmas card before (more modern) and they make the perfect gift within a card when you just need that little extra holiday cheer for someone. The first set that came in was this (below) copyright 1982 – 1987. I am starting with the raccoon – isn’t he adorable with that sweet bird on the candy cane? I have not started yet but prepped the floss and anxious to get started.

This is the 2nd set that arrived, copyright 1982. I usually like to go with a more traditional and religious theme with holiday cards but I think these are all going to be sweet and fun and we all need a bit of whimsy!

Now I am off and excited to visit the pages of the others in this SAL.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, 

Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, 

AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Cindy, MaryMargaret

About the SAL

Please note this SAL is not accepting any more new members until further notice but this is what it’s all about anyway. This SAL (Stitch Along) is slightly different to other SALs in that we don’t all stitch the same design at the same rate. We choose ONE unfinished project, or ONE new one, and show progress of its completion over a series of three weekly updates. There are no deadlines and no set amount to stitch. The result is that the space in our drawers full of WIPs (works in progress) is gradually being freed up to store lots of new crafty goodness. It’s surprising how much motivation I’ve gained from being in this SAL.

SAL: HAPPY CAMPER UPDATE

I had shared with Avis that I would be missing our last 3 week check in as I would be visiting with family. It was a special family visit as I was traveling from WA state to N.C. for the arrival of my great grandson. The timing was perfect with my granddaughter arriving home from the hospital the day I flew in. Waylon Gray Garnett arrived on April 11th. I was able to spend a week visiting with my daughter, SIL, grandson and granddaughter and Waylon …. I was in heaven! This is what greeted me

I know you will all forgive me for missing checking in. I was way too busy loving on this precious bundle of love.

Now on to an update on my happy camper cross stitch. At our last check in she looked like this.

I made so much progress I had to go back and check my last posting to make sure that was the right last photo I shared. Here is where I am now and ……. it’s a finish. I decided to gift this to friends of ours who this past summer actually bought a cute little camper like this, refurbished it and took it out on the road.

Spring is here along with the rain. I will look for a break in the weather and invite them over for happy hour = happy camper hour! to give them this.

Now I am off to catch up with you all! Please join me if your not part of the SAL by clicking on the links below.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan,

Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Connie, Cindy, MaryMargaret

Our next updates will be posted on the 28th May 2023.

About the SAL

Please note this SAL is not accepting any more new members until further notice but this is what it’s all about anyway. This SAL (Stitch Along) is slightly different to other SALs in that we don’t all stitch the same design at the same rate. We choose ONE unfinished project, or ONE new one, and show progress of its completion over a series of three weekly updates. There are no deadlines and no set amount to stitch. The result is that the space in our drawers full of WIPs (works in progress) is gradually being freed up to store lots of new crafty goodness. It’s surprising how much motivation I’ve gained from being in this SAL.

HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update

It’s our three week check in and I am so excited to share the news that I have actually finished hand quilting Jane’s Quilt. It took me 1 year and 4 months to complete.

I have absolutely no place really to stretch her out to get a good picture. Even on the bed the room is not large enough to get far enough back to get the whole thing. I’ll share a picture of the back when I complete her. I now need to trim the excess batting and start on the border/binding. I’ll be using the backing to do that.

I am just giddy with love and happiness that this top was gifted to me. You all pretty much know the story and sentiment behind this quilt. For those new to the blog or might not remember, the top was gifted to me by the granddaughter of Jane, the daughter of my closest friend Jeanine. Both of them have passed but the blessing of their memories live within me. This quilt will be an heirloom treasure passed to my daughter who knew and was adored by her. I have another quilt that Jane herself had done and completed that she had given me some possibly 40 years ago and I will be passing that one on to another daughter who knew and has treasured memories of the family.

As I continue to work on Jane’s quilt I will add another smaller project I am working on which I have already started. I will catch you up on our next posting. Have a great 3 weeks and look forward to checking in with you then. If your not in this HQAL please take some time and take a peak at the others – there are some wonderful hand quilting projects in the works.

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, and Connie

HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update

I believe it is time for our 3 week HQAL update. I have not seen or remember seeing or made note of seeing a reminder nor have I seen any other postings as of this posting from others in our group so I am going out on a wing and a prayer believing it is today. If I am wrong and its not today – thats ok too!

February 6, 2022 was my first posting on Jane’s Quilt. I have been working on her for 13th months now. A big thank you to all of you in the HQAL for all the encouragement through out this process. It truly is a game changer for keeping one on course and with an added bonus of friendships made built and bound with fabric and thread.

Jane is a king size beauty and at our last posting I was lamenting how I was so far from a finish still. My stitching was average these past three weeks, no push, no over achieving. I have been checking and rechecking and I am shocked to report – I am close to finish after all. The picture below shows what I have left to stitch. I have this strip of light colored and the few corner colored blocks left. Can this truly be happening?

Of course there will be the binding. Shocked and elated over here in Bellingham, WA.

Hopefully I will have a finish but I am not promising as I have an upcoming trip to N.C. on the 13th to be present and welcome my great grandson, Waylon, into the world.

Thank you for stopping by 🙂

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, and  Cathie 

SAL: Happy Camper Update

Checking in for the SAL that I am participate in with an update on my Happy Camper cross-stitch. This is my 4th posting progress for this project. Last time this cutie looked like this

She’s really beginning to look like a camper and I am happy with my progress. I’d love to have a finish within the next 2/3 postings. Although, she may need to be parked for a while when I make a trip east to N.C. from WA for the birth of a great grand baby expected April 8th. Until then I will keep working on her. Here she is below with her window awnings and door almost finished along with her bonnet – would you call the top a bonnet?

Also in this posting I wanted to share with you a finally finished project. You might remember my Snowman and Reindeer project I finished back in December. I had showed you some border fabric I was thinking of using and after that put everything to the side. Well I finally did finish. The picture is positioned slightly off center because of the glass glare. I think it came out just the way I wanted it, fun and whimsical. I think the bright framing fabric is the perfect compliment to the muted softness of the picture.

And one last share ~ this 1929 NeedleCraft magazine – and only 10c I actually found two, 1931 issue and bought them both. I just love the cover photo on this one!

Now I am off to check in with the others in this SAL. If you would like to join me please click on the links below. There are some amazing beautiful projects in the works

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, 

Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, 

AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Connie, Cindy, MaryMargaret

HQAL: Update on Jane’s Quilt

I am calling this posting the triple three’s. Not only can I not believe were we are in the year 2023, it’s hard to believe we are in the third month of the year and three weeks have gone by.

So here I am with another update on my hand quilting project. At our last posting I had shown you another project I had been working on so that I could finish it.

I am back to Jane’s Quilt and have continued to make steady progress on her. I have moved the hoop a good two times and third smidge move over and I used her to cuddle up with on a few cold days. She is so warm and toasty.

Pic 1 – not even close to a full view … I am working my way around the outside of the middle medallion and just when I think I am getting closer to the finish line, I am shocked to realize I am nowhere near a finish. More importantly I am enjoying the process. Working on this brings me closer to her quilt top maker, Jane and Jane’s daughter Jeanine, both have passed on and are deeply missed.

Reading through this before posting I was thinking – is this like a memorial quilt? No, I am thinking of this as a living treasure and a testament to friendship and life eternal. Jeanine, her husband and family were one of our closest friends and I thought I would just share a very quick story on how we met if you don’t mind. Jeanine and her husband Don owned the Christian Book Store in our once small town of Yucca Valley, CA. Her only employee was a mutual friend named Vicky. She was battling cancer and needed to go home but could not get in touch with Jeanine (out of town, no cell phones in the 70’s) Not knowing if she should close the store, she called me and asked me to come in till Jeanine got back. Of course Jeanine was shocked to find me there, returning back that day. Thank you ‘s all around but even more surprised to see I sold a couple of items that had been in the shop for a long time (years) which she had given up trying to sell. This led to her asking me to work part time – just a little here and there – which led to a beautiful long lived, amazing, family friendship. ( and just a thought now looking back – it was not about selling the items ~ sometimes we lose site of the beauty or uniqueness of something and I imagine after hanging on the wall for so long she had lost seeing the beauty in the items since no-one bought it/them. I remember they were wall pictures. For me, I had never been in the shop before, they were new to me and beautiful so they were easy to recommend and sell ~ when you lose the luster for something or someone try looking through new eyes)

Now I am off to check in with the others in this HQAL, please join me, there are some gorgeous projects in the works.

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, and Connie

SAL : Happy Camper Update

Here we are in March already and I am moving right along with my project. I am working on a small project called Happy Camper by Zweigart . This will be my 3rd posting. Last time it looked like this

I’ve gone back to my proven plan for working on her which is mornings, 9am with Perry Mason on the T.V. It’s working well. I am able to get some stitching in most days. I had to do a small bit of frogging once I realized I had made a mistake by the tire and undercarriage. Here is where I am now

I finished the tire and added the small back window and moved to the top. You can see the beginning of the awning for the door just starting.

We are feeling spring here although there’s been lots of rain and even snow. Daffies are up and blooming, the crocus are not far behind and my little happy camper is itching to get out onto the open road

Our next update is March 26 and I have to ask myself how is that possible? Three weeks is like three blinks and then we will be at the end of the month posting again.

I live in SAL time 🙂

Excited to visit the other members in this SAL – please join me for some beautiful Sunday eye candy.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, 

Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, 

AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Connie, Cindy, MaryMargaret

About the SAL

Please note this SAL is not accepting any more new members until further notice but this is what it’s all about anyway. This SAL (Stitch Along) is slightly different to other SALs in that we don’t all stitch the same design at the same rate. We choose ONE unfinished project, or ONE new one, and show progress of its completion over a series of three weekly updates. There are no deadlines and no set amount to stitch. The result is that the space in our drawers full of WIPs (works in progress) is gradually being freed up to store lots of new crafty goodness. It’s surprising how much motivation I’ve gained from being in this SAL.

HQAL: Jane’s Quilt Update

Hi everyone ~ living life in three week increments 🙂 and getting stuff done. Time once again for an update on Jane’s quilt and I am afraid that this week I am reporting not one additional stitch. Jane has taken a back seat to the baby quilt I have been working on along with her. Baby due date is quickly approaching – April 8th – and if these past three weeks is any indication of how fast time went, April 8th will be here in a blink. I need to get this one in the mail.

You may remember my last posting on baby Waylons quilt, it looked like this below. I had finished piecing the top and sandwiching the front and back together, then began quilting it. This posting was on January 8th.

This week I finished quilting her. I’am stilling toying with the idea of adding a few mini

heart outlines in the sashing squares .

I made my own seam binding using the backing material. While I love the slim accent on

the front, I am wondering now if a solid complimentary color would of helped add

a bit of a pop, for the backing especially.

The beginning of a label is in the works with a few ideas still swimming in my head,

like a solid background material to mount this label on before attaching.

That’s it for now, time to check in with the others in this HQAL and then get back to work on this quilt. Our forecast is for some snow in the next week so I am feeling confident I will be able to get some quality quilting time in on Jane.

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy, Connie, and  Cathie 

SAL: Happy Camper Update

Welcome to another three week update for this SAL. I have been working on the artiste mini counted cross-stitch called Happy Camper by Zweigart. I picked it up at our local Goodwill for just short of 1/2 price. I love the red door and the sweet awning on this. Friends of ours picked up a vintage camper last summer just like this to fix up. I have camper envy 🙂

At our last posting I had just begun this project. Here was my start

I got in some good stitching time, not as much as I would have liked, but good progress was made.

I am excited to see her grow and get her on the road for this summer ~ hopefully. Spring fever has come to the northwest with the crocus, tulips, snowdrops and daffies peeking out already. The grocery stores have these spring beauties potted and welcoming us into their stores. But there’s still time for snow and frost to cover the ground.

Please join me in visiting with the others in this SAL.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan,

Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Connie, Cindy, MaryMargaret

Our next updates will be posted on the 5th March 2023.

About the SAL

Please note this SAL is not accepting any more new members until further notice but this is what it’s all about anyway. This SAL (Stitch Along) is slightly different to other SALs in that we don’t all stitch the same design at the same rate. We choose ONE unfinished project, or ONE new one, and show progress of its completion over a series of three weekly updates. There are no deadlines and no set amount to stitch. The result is that the space in our drawers full of WIPs (works in progress) is gradually being freed up to store lots of new crafty goodness. It’s surprising how much motivation I’ve gained from being in this SAL.

Journal Junking

There never seems to be enough time in a day to pursue all my crafty habits. Three week intervals calls me to updating on my hand quilting progress alternating with a cross stitch roll call update for the SAL and HQAL groups I participate in. But in addition to those two passions, I have been working on and creating lots of junk journaling journals, envelopes, cards etc.

Add in Dr. appointments, daily activities like making the bed, cooking meals, walking the dog, grocery shopping, talking with family (phone), friends, gardening (not so much with the winter weather) life is full.

I thought I would share some of the latest with the journal making. Most recently I worked on Valentine themed birthday journal for a cousin turning 60. It will be going in the mail today. Technically not really a ‘junk journal’ as this was made with some beautiful printables, sari ribbons and pieces and lace . Below are a few of the pages. This has a two ring binding and the cover was made using a lemon cake mix box. Each page has a border that is machine stitched as is all the added ephemera. It measures 8 X 6″

One of my favorite things to create right now are prayer cards. These sweethearts are made out of file folders. There is writing space on the backs of the cards as well as the small card inserts to write down a prayer or intention (anything you like).

This one below is geared more for Christmas giving with a lace tuck space for the journaling card.

These last three posted have vintage religious metals attached. They are also made out of file folders, vintage music and book pages, sari ribbon and vintage lacey bits.

I’ll finish up this posting with two pages of a mini Valentine themed journal. This measures 4 X 4 1/2″ and is a real tweet heart of a jewel. It’s really chunky and with a big crocodile mouth kept closed with some jute twine.

Time to get this day going, there’s still our mini schnauzer patiently waiting for her morning walk and a post office visit for my cousins birthday surprise.