Lavender Christmas Dessert Plate

Holiday dinner out with friends called for something a little extra special to say how much their friendship meant to me. 3.5 x 3.5 these tiny sachet pillows are stuffed with lavender infused stuffing along with lavender grown in my garden this summer. I edged with a string of pearl beads to capture that winter falling snow feel.

I wanted material that said ‘you light up my life’

I kept it simple and wrapped in a plastic sandwich baggy to both catch falling lavender buds and help the infused lavender scent steep.

Christmas Card Cross Stitch

 

In a world with virtual cards for every occasion, I still send out Christmas Cards, do you? I picked up this sweet kit at the Goodwill for $1.99

Setting out straight a way to get it started, it took me some time, extra strong reading glasses, and good lighting.

Recipient is my one and only Uncle who is extra special to me

What is really funny about this card is he loves virtual cards, and I mean LOVES them. In fact, starting Dec. 1, have been sending him a virtual card every morning almost like an advent calendar of sorts. He may love virtual cards but I think he may like this one better.

HQAL: T Block Update

Time once again to post our progress. Looking back, it appears I started working on this  in November, 2018. Wow – I can hardly believe a full year has flown by since beginning this.

I have completed all 16 blocks for my “T” block quilt. Below are the last 5. (Actually I miss counted and I have 17 blocks in all, 2 of the same one)

 

 

All the blocks

 

 

Now to begin to think about putting her together

Please take a moment to blog hop and check out the amazing hand work of the others in the group ~ enjoy!

Kathy, Margaret, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon,
Karrin, Gretchen, Kathi,  Bella, Daisy and Connie

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate each another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you would like to join along please contact Kathy above.

 

SAL: OWL & CACTUS Finish

I am thrilled to report I have a finish with my Owl and Cactus cross-stitch.

At our last check in I was here

Finish

I decided not to backstitch around the flowers. Attempting it a few times, I just could not get a smooth soft curved feel. One to take things quite literally, including directions and not working outside the box, I threw caution to the wind and left the flowers alone. I think it looks ok. Now to have it blocked and framed and it will be ready for gift giving.

For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving I wanted to wish you a wonderful day next week filled with lots of love and laughter and for those of you who aren’t, my wish for you is the same  🙂 Ours will be a quiet day as all the children are scattered into the cosmos of life outside of Washington state with their children. We have decided on 2 cornish game hens in an orange marmalade glaze, wild rice and a favorite shredded carrot soufflé.

Please take a moment or two to stop by the others in this SAL. There’s a lot of great projects in works. And if you would like to join along ~ please contact Avis at the link below and she will be happy to give you the details. It’s easy and fun!

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley,Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie

 

HQAL: T Block Update And More

It’s that time again – the 3 week update on our hand quilting project. I have been working steady on the ‘T’ quilt for some time. With so many other projects on the table ~ I am so thankful for the accountability to update and post on this project. You keep me on target and moving forward. So before I show you what I have done I just wanted to say……..

Welcome to Bella, Daisy and Connie

 

I completed 6 more blocks.

 

Last check in I had completed these 5. I was so happy I had taken the advice of the group and framed in the squares. I love the look of the blocks now.

I have 11 blocks completed of the 16 needed. With 5 left and everything cut out, I know I can have a big end of the year finish and move on to piecing her together.

A quick update on the pink and green baby quilt ~ baby was born on Oct 30th, arriving on Grandpa’s birthday; what a gift 🙂 No name yet – parents have 30 days to decide. I haven’t had the chance to see ‘baby girl’ for myself and gift is still waiting to be given. Soon though!

It’s must be the year of baby quilts because I have another one started. Not in the HQAL but being hand quilted just the same. The pink above was for a nephew, the grey, yellow, turquoise for a granddaughter and her first, Wyatt, born in June and this one below is for another granddaughter expecting her first. I thought I would give you a sneak peak at what I am working on.

I haven’t decided  how I am going to put them together but I am leaning towards a very narrow white binding. ‘Mommy’ picked her color choices. Grey and turquoise seem to be very popular right now.

 

 

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, Emma, Tracy, Deb,Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon,
Karrin, Gretchen, Kathi,  Bella, Daisy and Connie

 

 

SAL: Cactus and Owl Update

Halloween down, Thanksgiving inching its way into our hearts and another chance to post an update on my project.

Last posting the cactus and owl looked like this.

Progress was made and it felt good to put in the last stitches of the third cactus. Just a few more stitches to finish him up, the thorns, backstitching, then flower with its stem and I’m done 🙂

 

Welcome Back Connie 🙂 I am excited to hop on over to your page and see what you’ve got in the works.

Not part of the SAL but in these past 3 weeks I made these two sweet little ornaments to go on top of a special gift. Both ornaments are backed the same. The quilt they are on is one I made many years ago, well over 20. It’s my Christmas quilt, all hand pieced and quilted.

Please enjoy the latest SAL project updates from the rest of the group by clicking the links below. We live all over the world so you may need to allow for time differences. Posting takes place every third Sunday, local time. Our next updates will be posted on the 24th November 2019.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley,Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie

Memory Making

Just finished up with 2 projects I had on the back burner. That’s always a good feeling.

Not to long ago a cousin sent me a box with a few old t – shirts, 1 swim trunks (or is it swim trunk or swimming trunks?) and 1 sun visor she had saved belonging to her husband who had passed away in 2007. She asked me to make a quilt with them for her.

Ummmm…there was no way I could and that’s all I’ll say about that but I did come up with something else I think will make her happy and keep his memory close to her heart.

I made a small memory pillow for her. Pillow measures 8″ x 8″, his name embroidered in corner with b & d year. I’ll be sending it to her for Christmas ~ oh, no worries, she doesn’t follow my blog so the surprise is not spoiled

 

 

 

 

No one in mind making this crochet baby blanket. Whether you call it the popcorn or bobble stitch it is one of my favorite stitches for making a heavier weight baby blanket.

 

 

I have a container where I am keeping baby blankets I have made for ‘grandchildren’ for their ‘grandchildren’ I guess I could call it my ‘crochet legacy container’

 

Braving the Madness for Estate Sale Finds

A few weekends ago I hit an estate sale, lured in by pictures on a FB post. I am not a huge estate sale goer as the vendors usually get in there first, fast and furious and the things I love are usually snatched up before I even get in through the door, but this sale …. a light rain, a long line for a 10 am entry time and I was in.

Gorgeous hand stitched vintage quilt $45  

I also picked up a second quilt for $15 well it was marked $15 – a cutter quilt but when I got to the check out, the crush of the crowd, the exhilaration and overload of massive antique finds, we couldn’t find the tag so I said “I think it was $35” “ok” the checker said, “no problem $35” … I later realized the $35 went with another I was considering and later found the $15 tag and thought ….. well you know what I thought 🙂

Two NeedleCraft Mags ~ 1932 & 1929 

 

If anyone is looking for a new old recipe for their upcoming Thanksgiving Feast how about trying the White Corn Pudding this year

I also picked up an old wooden ironing board and this fabulous phone below for $25 (I was a GTE operator in the late 70’s)

The crowning glory of my weekend of estate sale madness was returning on the 3rd and last day @ half off prices to see if something I really, really, really wanted was still there.

Now I must tell you this estate sale was in one of the older historic neighborhoods, the streets are very narrow, ‘no parking’ signs line one side, yet people ignored the signs reducing a section of road to only one way passing. Massive older tree’s canopied both sides of the curved and wavy roadway, there was a light rain and my husband did not take me on this return trip (waiting patiently for me while I was inside) so I had to brave the madness and parking nightmare on my own as well as wait in line to get in again

But there she was, in all her beauty

Little Red Riding Hood by Hull 

HQAL: Two Project Updates With Smiles

At our last check in I showed you the baby quilt I had been working on.

Consensus ~ the satin blanket binding was way to wide, covered the green inside sashing and just had to be go bye bye

Changed and finished

 

No baby yet with a date of 31 October were not to far away now

 

 

My second and on going project has been the “T’ block quilt.

I had also shown you my first attempt at sashing using black and well

Yuk – all wrong again 🙂

With your help and suggestions I feel like I am on the right path again …although my photography skills are lacking ~

I am framing each block with a coordinating fabric. Five down eleven more to go.

Thank you for stopping in and please take a moment to enjoy the work of the other amazing hand quilters in the group.

Kathy, Margaret, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, Gretchen and Kathi

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 above.

SAL: Cactus and Owl Update

It’s check in time and I was actually anxious for this 3 week period to arrive. I made some great head way on my cactus and owl cross-stitch. Here is where I was at our last check in – a hint of the owl was showing.

ta daaaaa Owl is done and backstitching started

I wasn’t happy with the choppiness of the backstitching on the flower so I am going to try redoing it. Backstitching the owls head I realized once I got started that I had used double thread when single was called for. I wrestled with taking it out and then decided it will be fine. I think it gives a bit of depth to the head sitting on the body so I will leave it as is.

 

 

Remember the Barbara Lavalle cross-stitch I was working on for gift giving to my daughter up in Alaska?

Finished, framed and on its way

I was really pleased with the framing that I had done at the local Joannes. I’m sorry I didn’t get a better picture that showed the black frame all around * dark frame light background 🙂 With the present in route already, I had my daughter swear an oath to wait for opening.

Birthday celebration on the 25th.

 

Thank you for stopping by. Please take a moment to visit the pages of the other amazing crafters in the group. And if you would like to join along please contact Avis below and she will be happy to walk you through the process. See you next time 🙂

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah,Clare,Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne

About the SAL

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.