A Little Cross Stitch Pouch

Took another break from the blog here… Went on vacation and didn’t plan posts like I used to, nor did I post on vacation like I used to! Partly because I didn’t have internet… Partly because I just didn’t! But I did keep making things!

I was still making things and also still finishing projects! One of these projects, ws a cross stitch pouch I made for my Dad. It was supposed to be a Christmas present…. But it didn’t quite get finished!

When I quilt, I prefer to make my own patterns. But when it comes to cross stitch, I typically, no, I always, use a pattern. I have a few favorite shops on Etsy for patterns, but most of the patterns I have done so far is from my favorite cross stitch magazine, CrossStitcher Magazine from the UK. When I saw this saxophone project in the magazine, I knew I wanted to make it for my Dad who plays the saxophone in his church orchestra! He played as a kid and has taken it back up again  in the last ten years or so.

I’ve loved getting back into cross stitch after many, many years. it’s been a fun on the go project. But I’ve also liked experimenting with different fabrics and techniques. I did one of my first projects on regular quilting cotton and another on linen with a grid. This one I went back to Aida fabric and just counted along. It is the easiest way to do it, in my opinion, but I think my favorite is not using Aida. The other fabrics seem a bit softer, or something!

For the pouch I used Noodlehead’s open wide pouch pattern. I love this pattern as it’s simple and I love that it actually opens all the way! For this one I made one larger piece and quilted as a quilt as you go type project. Then I cut it down to the front and back pieces. I did this to make sure the front and back stripes lined up as I put it together.

And the back! Some of my favorite fabircs!

The pattern was a little tricky since the colors are pretty similar (more so when you are working on it up close!). But it was a pretty easy pattern other wise!  The saxophone is just a small piece in a larger design with other instruments. I only wanted the Sax! The pattern is All That Jazz from Issue November 2014 of Cross Stitcher Magazine.

 

Easter Egg Decorating- A New Technique to Us

Have you ever used the shaving cream technique to decorate Easter eggs?

We tried it! You might have seen it on Pinterest or other places around the internet, but we tried it! I thought it was fun. The kiddo not so much. He’s not one to get very messy…. The result is a very pastel egg…

Here’s what we did:

We did them two ways… The traditional PAAS way and the shaving cream way. The used shaving cream, food coloring, a pan and a BBQ skewer. And of course, don’t for get the eggs because it ‘s very hard to dye eggs without eggs!

 

 

Pretty easy…. Line the pan with shaving cream. Add food coloring. Swirl the shaving cream and food coloring combo with s bbq skewer (or anything for that matter). And lastly roll eggs around in the shaving cream.

It is messy. If you don’t want to color your fingers, this project might not be for you! The kiddo thought it was the worst idea for decorating eggs ever and said he’d never do it that way again! He said, ‘Who came up with this idea anyway?’ Ha!

Then you just let them sit. I let mine sit for about a half hour. Maybe if you let them sit for longer, they might become more vibrant… I didn’t have the patience to leave them fro too long!

 

I decided to try it in yellow… Don’t recommend only yellow for this technique!

And the results:

Pretty? Yes. Vibrant? Not so much… Fun experiment? I say so! there may be people who disagree (and I might just live with one of those characters!)

 

The kiddo went back to the old fashioned way that he loves. And you can see the results are much more in your face. I guess it depends on the look you are going for.

How do you decorate eggs?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Cupcakes

Have you started planning for Easter? Easter baskets, snacks? Family meals? Egg decorating?

I admit that I am not a great cake decorator, but we had fun with these cupcakes! I came up with three different ones! It was just one of those days where you weren’t planning on making something, but the idea came and you had everything you need. I love those days!

So, I am trying to come to terms with my cake decorating limitations, but I have another kitchen flaw… I’m also not good at boiling eggs! It seems like one of those things that everyone can do. You put eggs in water and boil the water, right… Well, I still have not made a batch of hard boiled eggs without cracking at least a few.

So I had an idea of what to do with those broken ones! I carefully cracked them and removed the eggs. Then cleaned out the shells and dyed them just like the hardboiled eggs. In the nice little old fashioned Paas dye kits!

For these I just filled the eggs with robin’s egg candy and secured the egg shell in the icing!

Here’s the OMG moment when I realized I had a whole bag of pompoms down stairs! A bag of different sized pompoms, a bit of red paper and some hot glue and you’ve got some chicks!  Oh, yea! You know that crafty feeling I’m talking about, don’t you? I was running back and forth with this big cheesy grin, decorating cupcakes and making pompom chicks!

And for my third idea…

I wanted to make a birds nest! The kiddo says it looks like a birds nest…  With jelly bean birds eggs. I think they turned out cute, too!

But I’m pretty sure the pompom chicks are everyone’s favorite!

 

Finish Along Quarter 2 2017 Goals!

I don’t know how it happened, but I only got one on my list from last quarter done… ergh…  Here we go again! And again, most will look familiar…

This one is ready to go and the quilting has already started, but I got frustrated with it and now it’s sitting there again!

This is an old one that has been sitting on the shelf for about 3 years. Sitting there with a front and back done! So it just needs a little quilting love… It’s basted. It’s getting so close… Like right next to my machine!

I’ve picked this one up again and hope to finish it ASAP for the whole gift giving thing!  This one uses the quick curve ruler by Sew Kind of Wonderful!

This one is also almost done! Ready to be quilted TONIGHT! Using my own Inside Out Pineapple block…..

This little secret guy needs to be done this quarter! Loving the colors!

And here’s a sneak peek at the next Nurture Circle do Good quilt. I’m going to try to make a good impression this go around and actually finish my quilt in the allotted time frame! Fingers crossed!

And there’s this one I’d like to finish from a year ago….

The last three I want to keep working on, or start, but I doubt I’ll finish them!

My Seattle Modern Quilt Guild BOM quilt ….

I want to start and finish my Christmas quilt and I want to have it done for next year and at the rate I’m going, it won’t be done, unless I do it now!

I’m STILL working on the Technicolor Galaxy Quilt!

Ok, this list is insane long… AGAIN…. But I want to get these DONE!!!!!!!! And some are almost done! I won’t finish them all, of course, but I’m hoping to make a good dent in the pile!

 

 

Left and Right- Do Good Quilt Finish!

It’s long overdue, but I did finish another quilt! Another Nurture Circle do. Good Stitches Quilt!

Remember how I do those Quilt Design a Day projects? I haven’t posted any of those on the blog recently, either… Well, this quilt started as one of those designs! (you can see the group here)

This was the prompt we had! This silly picture of heart shaped sunglasses by design seeds was the inspiration. I took this and came up with this…

I got some great feedback on this design, so I knew I wanted to make it into a quilt. I thought the variation of fabric from a quilt bee would make this quilt fantastic!

And, if I do say so myself, I think it turned out pretty fantastic!

I think it was a pretty easy block for the group to make. Each person made 18 half square triangle blocks, 6 of each color. You can find all the directions here. I’ll post the directions to the blog shortly!

I’m so in love with the colors! And the variations on each color that came from all the members.

For the back I made a play on scale and made the one of each flying geese, but BIG! I always try to avoid these pictures with the wind, but I love how this one shows the little ones on the front juxtaposed next to big ones!

This picture shows the quilting the best. I did my usual straight line quilting, but at an angle with the flying geese. Then did a little stitch in the ditch along the flying geese to get the zigzags.

And of course, my label picture! I had fun photographing this one at the boathouse where we recently had our SMQG retreat with the help of Allison Sews and Snippets of Sweetness!

And I can mark this one off of my 2017 Finish A Long Quarter 1 List! Linking up here.