Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Thinking of you

Hello there

I won't be blogging for a few days because I will be here


It will be too cold to be in the water but I will sit and watch it as long as I can.  Who knows what I might see??

Take care.

Spring months

Hello there

The other day I showed my July block and said I would post the other finished blocks.  When I started this block a month project for some reason I started doing random months and finished March, April and May (not in that order).  My thinking now is if I skip June for now and start with July and then keep working in order, I could very possibly have them all finished in order.  In the shadow box in my kitchen, May had been hanging for about 2 years now.  I took May down and put up March and hope to now be on track.
Here is May in the shadow box with the glass open.  It looks a little washed out because of the dismal day today.


Here is April



Then March


I love the little Irish lass.

Hopefully, I will make some progress on July.

Take care.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Harikuyo Day

Hello there -

Susan Elliott is a friend of mine.  I am very proud to be able to say that.  I have learned so much from Susan and hope we go on for many years being friends.  Susan gets so excited about so many things and in that excitement makes them events for all to share.  Susan is a fantastic stitcher and puts so much research and detail into everything she stitches.  One of the things I learned from her is about Harikuyo - the Festival of Broken  Needles which occurs Feb. 8.  If you go to her website - plays with needles - you will learn a good bit about this festival (and sooooo much more plus lots of eye candy).  I, like many other stitchers, embrace this day because we all get such joy and fulfillment from the work our needles perform. 

Susan has also created a needlebook based on this day with a page for broken needles.  She taught this class to our Crazy Quilt group and then offered it online and so many people registered to take the class, she was blown away.  They all loved it.  Here is my needlebook


I love my needlebook.  I use it all the time.  I have my space for broken needles, although for some reason I don't seem to break many needles.  I have been excited for today to celebrate my two broken needles.  I have some bent pins I am going to put to rest with the needles.  This is how much I use this needlebook you can see all my threads hanging out.




Here you can see my special place for needles.  What am I planning on doing with these needles today you might ask?  I am going to wrap them in a little piece of fabric and bury them by my rose bushes.  I am thinking they might like resting near something lovely and my perhaps my roses might learn a thing or two about working harder.  However, I have to wait for the rain to stop.

So on this day of thanking hard workers, I would like to thank Susan for all the hard work and information and creativity she shares with the stitching community, her friends and especially her family, on a regular basis.  Thank you Susan for all that you do and thank you Susan for being my friend.

Take care.


Thursday, February 7, 2013

More bracelets (old news)

Hello there

This will be my last post about my trip to New Mexico but I wanted to share this.  I have two good female friends that live in New Mexico and I wanted to have a bracelet for each of them when I went out there.  I also wanted to make a bracelet for me.  You saw the first bracelet I made



This was for my friend in Albuquerque.  It is made with clear quartz, malachite and little silver bits.
The bracelet I wanted to make for myself was with moonstones (which I love) and I wanted it sparkly so I used crystals.  It was fun to make and I think it came out pretty well.  I wanted to use a moon button but I didn't seem to have any.  I collect buttons and have for years.  I am particularly fond of moon anything so I would assume I would have some moon buttons, alas, I did not.  I like the button I chose to use and can't decide if I will continue to use it or search out a moon button.  Here is a picture.  I wish you could see how much it sparkles in the sun.


For my friend in Santa Fe, whose birthstone is turquoise, I made a turquoise and silver bracelet.  I was very pleased with how this came out.  The best thing of all is that my friend is now interested in making these bracelets.  I have been trying for years to get her interested in doing something like this that we could have in common and finally she seems interested in this.  She doesn't have as much time as I do.  She still works full time and her time is limited, but she seems to be enjoying making the bracelets..  It was fun bead shopping with her.




Well all good things come to an end and our trip to New Mexico has faded into the sunset (New Mexico sunsets are spectacular).

Take care.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

February return

Hello there -

It has been quite sometime since I have been here as you can see.  I wish I could say that I have been doing exciting things or going wonderful places but, alas, I have not.  I have just been trying to survive January.  Now that we are into February, I think things might be looking up some what.  I wish the temperature, early in the day, would go above freezing so  the pool could open again.  I am pretty sure that will happen soon.

A couple of years ago I decided I was going to make a block for each month with special significance to me.  I mentioned this at my CQ group and someone suggested I make an individual block for each month and change the month.  I thought this a great idea and have a small shadow box hanging in my kitchen to hold each month.  Unfortunately, I only completed 3 months so I don't change them often.  I am now determined to finish these and that is what I am working on now, in addition to my tree skirt of course.

So, here is a picture of the one I am making now.  It is July.  This is the beginning stage so I will show the beginning and then the end.  There hasn't been any rhyme or reason to which month I work on but now I am going to try and work in order.


Each month has a fairy and July's fairy is The Honeysuckle Fairy.  Next I will show the other two months and the shadow box.

Take care..