Wednesday, November 26, 2014

We Support You Blog Hop at Sew We Quilt


Happy Wednesday!  With Thanksgiving coming up, I do not have a Work In Progress post to share.  However, I wanted to let you all know I signed up for my first blog hop!

Madame Samm at sewwequilt.com found a blog hop theme I simply could not resist - a We Support You (or it could be I Support You) themed blog hop to support those in our lives with breast cancer.  I had just purchased some fabric to make a get well gift for a relative of ours that is undergoing chemo for breast cancer, and thought this blog hop would be the perfect opportunity to offer a little more support.

Speaking of support, the pattern provided by Madame Samm is a bra. As of yesterday, there were still a few openings.  HERE IS A LINK to the sign-up page.  I encourage you to check it out if you are interested in joining, or if you are just curious about the hop.

Pat from Scrapatches will be our cheerleader.  (This is my first blog, and I have only made a few (unintentionally wonky) quilts, so I hope I do not end up with too many questions!)  

For those of you that stop by for my WIP Wednesday posts, I will share my progress next week.  (I found out a few days ago I will be hosting our Thanksgiving dinner, so life has been busy!)  You may still see what others have been up to by following THIS LINK.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  If you will be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wish you a wonderful day!  Personally, I am thankful for all of you I have grown to know through this blogging world.

Best wishes,
Renee

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

WIP Wednesday 11/19/2014

The good news is that I made progress this week!  The bad news is that it was not on my Winter/Christmas Wall Quilt.  (In the past, I did mention that I find it easy to set projects for myself aside while I work on items for others, did I not?!)

I did make progress on the Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED) Santa and the Mouse Ornament, as you can see above.

My crafty time has been incredibly limited this week.  Although I cannot show the rest of my projects, I can share a few details. I have been busy testing a placemat pattern for a friend. (I am the Queen of Wonky Corners, but somehow managed to get everything lined up - AND the pattern uses triangles.) I have also worked on piecing a few blocks for gifts and for my remaining CQJP 2014 blocks.

Oh, I almost forgot! I know I am months and months behind on my CQJP 2014 blocks, but I have nearly finished the July block.


Kathy Shaw has opened registration for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) 2015!  If you are interested in learning more about CQJP, or signing up for next year, just follow THIS link.  The rules have changed a bit this year, and blocks must be a minimum of 8" square (it was 6" square in the past.) However, the shape of the block does not have to actually be a square.

To see the progress others have made this week, check out the links in the comments left on pintangle.com.  Here is a link to this week's post.

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee

Last Week's List of Goals:

 Short-term:

  1. Complete the wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. Complete quilting so it is ready to add the back and bind.
  2. Make a TAST post. Done!  It is HERE.
  3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
  4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. Progress may be seen above.
  5. Embellish a snowball for Lynne by November 15th. If you missed the post, you may see it HERE.
    Winter Snowman Embroidery
  6. Share pictures of the snowball I mailed to Lori after she receives it. (It should reach her by November 14th.) If you missed the post, you may see it HERE.
    Snowman Winter Embroidery
  7. Make a birthday gift. I purchased the supplies I needed.
  8. Create a block in exchange for the sitting fee for my son's senior pictures. (This will stretch my creativity, as the requested topic is out of my comfort zone.  I ordered specific fabric from an Etsy shop to help with the theme.  This should be fun!) The fabric arrived and I found a PERFECT set of charms.  I have almost finished piecing the block.
  9. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block. This is almost done! (Finally...)
Long-term: 
  1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
  2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
  3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
  4. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
  5. Piece August CQJP 2014 block. Partially complete.
  6. Embellish August CQJP 2014 block.
  7. Piece September CQJP 2014 block. Partially complete.
  8. Embellish September CQJP 2014 block.
  9. Embellish October CQJP 2014 block.
  10. Piece November CQJP 2014 block.
  11. Embellish November CQJP 2014 block.
  12. Piece December CQJP 2014 block.
  13. Embellish December CQJP 2014 block.
  14. Complete back panel and make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop
  15. Paint guest bathroom.
  16. Make a thank you gift. Partially pieced.
  17. Make a get well gift. Partially pieced.
  18. Work on Christmas gifts.

This Week's List of Goals:

 Short-term:

  1. Complete the wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. Complete quilting so it is ready to add the back and bind.
  2. Make a TAST post. 
  3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
  4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. 
  5. Make a birthday gift.
  6. Create a block in exchange for the sitting fee for my son's senior pictures. (This will stretch my creativity, as the requested topic is out of my comfort zone.  I ordered specific fabric from an Etsy shop to help with the theme.  This should be fun!) 
  7. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block. 
  8. Make a purse with my July CQJP 2014 block.
Long-term: 
  1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
  2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
  3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
  4. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
  5. Piece August CQJP 2014 block. 
  6. Embellish August CQJP 2014 block.
  7. Piece September CQJP 2014 block. 
  8. Embellish September CQJP 2014 block.
  9. Embellish October CQJP 2014 block.
  10. Piece November CQJP 2014 block.
  11. Embellish November CQJP 2014 block.
  12. Piece December CQJP 2014 block.
  13. Embellish December CQJP 2014 block.
  14. Complete back panel and make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop
  15. Paint guest bathroom.
  16. Make a thank you gift.
  17. Make a get well gift.
  18. Work on Christmas gifts.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

TAST 11/18/2014

This week, I completed two TAST stitches.  (TAST stands for Take A Stitch Tuesday, which is a stitcher's challenge offered by Sharon B. at pintangle.com. To learn more, please check out the FAQ page by clicking HERE.)

TAST #12: Barred Chain Stitch
I used the Barred Chain Stitch to create a row of stems using size 5 green perle cotton.  Detached chain stitched "flowers" were added with size 8 pink perle cotton. This is a seam I can see myself using again and again!

TAST #16: Wheatear Stitch
Sharon showed some beautiful uses for the Wheatear Stitch.  Here, I made a very simple seam using size 12 black perle cotton.  It is a stitch I would like to play around with more; although, I am very slow with this stitch.

To see what others have been up to this week, check out the links in the comments on THIS POST.

Thank you so much for stopping by!
Renee

Monday, November 17, 2014

A "Snowball" for Lori F. in Ontario, Canada!

Winter snowman "snowball" for Lori F. in Ontario, Canada
Earlier this month, I completed a "snowball" to swap with Lori F. in Ontario, Canada.  Lori had requested a snowball theme of my favorite season.  It took me a while to decide, as fall is my favorite season.  I love the crisp cool mornings, the beauty of leaves changing color, and that it is finally pumpkin season!  However, I just love to embroider winter scenes and I was itching to make another button snowman.  Winter won!

Embroidered Winter Tree
This tree was created with size 5 green variegated DMC floss and with size 5 white DMC floss for the snowy evergreen section.  Size 5 brown DMC floss was couched down with a single matching strand of DMC cotton floss to create the tree trunk.  I fell in love with the wonderful texture the size 5 floss gave the tree.


Size 8 and 12 white DMC flosses were used to create the snowy hills and snowflakes.  Mill Hill petite glass beads were added as accents and as additional snowflakes.

Button Snowman
Before I began stitching on the snowball, I used black and orange acrylic paints to create a face on one button and to add buttons to another.  The "twig" arms were couched down, as was the scarf.  I originally planned to add black seed beads to the holes in the large button at the bottom.  However, they were too small.  The larger black beads I found were just too big.  So, I decided this snowman was perfect just the way he was.
Snowman "snowball" from Lori F.

I do hope Lori likes this little winter scene!  If you missed the snowball she sent me, it is pictured above and you may read about it on this post.

What I forgot to mention is that Lori supports the National Inclusion Project.  I had the opportunity to work with some wonderful students in our school district, and I have memories that will last forever from the experience.  However, I was not aware of the National Inclusion Project.  I encourage you to check it out, you may reach their website HERE.

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee


Saturday, November 15, 2014

A "Snowball" for Lynne F. in MA!

Winter Themed CQI "Snowball" for Lynne F. by Renee Y.
Yesterday, I mailed this snowball to Lynne F. in MA.  Lynne requested a wintery-themed block using blue, white and silver. 

Button Snowman
I love making these little button snowmen, so I had to add one to this block.  I had the perfect silvery-white button in my stash for this one.  The face and small black buttons were added using acrylic paints.  (I paint them first and allow them to dry while I embroider the block.)  I did opt to use size 5 brown DMC floss for the arms - rather than white or silver.

Embroidered Winter Trees
I just loved the little tree seam and the white tree I added to my Winter Stocking last year, so I incorporated similar ones into this snowball.  (The tree somewhat follows the Easy, Breezy Trees Tutorial on Shawkl Designs.) 

Embroidered Snowflake
Although my sky fabric has snowflakes within the print, a few embroidered snowflakes were the perfect finishing touch.

Wintery "Snowball"
Photographs make it so tricky to capture the texture the embroidery creates.  I tried to capture a bit of that with the photo above. (You may click on any photo for a larger view.)

I had great fun making this snowball for Lynne.  I do hope she likes it!

Thank you for stopping by,
Renee



Wednesday, November 12, 2014

WIP Wednesday 11/12/2014



I set aside a couple of hours on Tuesday night, to work on my Winter/Christmas Wall Quilt; however, that did not quite work out. This week, I spent the majority of my stitching time working on my Santa and the Mouse cross-stitch and on "snowballs" to swap.

On Friday, I finished the first page of the Heaven and Earth Designs free Santa and the Mouse Ornament design.  (It is pictured above. You may click on any image for a larger view. ) On Saturday, I made a bit of progress on page 2. (See #4 on my short-term list of goals below.) Even my husband, who shakes his head and grumbles about how insane this project is - due to the number of stitches and time it will take - agrees it is looking pretty cool.


And, I must confess, I could not wait.  I started another project.  I fought the temptation for DAYS (which felt like FOREVER), and lost the battle.  Sunday evening, I caved and spent a couple of hours working on one of the 3 new Heaven and Earth Designs charts I purchased.  QS Red Hearts is a quick stitch (QS) pattern based on artwork by Ching-Chou Kuik.  Every time I see this piece, I picture it as the center of a crazy quilt, surrounded by blocks embroidered with hearts, vines and flowers.  (My hubby suspects I may be certifiable, as this project is larger than the Santa and the Mouse Ornament.  I fear telling him I suspected I would finish this project within 3 years may have confirmed his suspicions...)

Thank you for stopping by!

Hugs,
Renee

Updated 11/14/14 - OOPS!  I posted this just before, literally, running out the door.  In my haste, I forgot to link up with the current Work In Progress (WIP) Wednesday post at pintangle.com.  I encourage you to take a peek at what Sharon is working on - I love it!  Following the links in the comments will lead you to more eye candy.  Just CLICK HERE.  Enjoy!

Last Week's List of Goals:

 Short-term:

  1. Complete the wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. Complete quilting so it is ready to add the back and bind.
  2. Make a TAST post.
  3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
  4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. I completed over 400 x-stitches and finished page 1 of the chart. Now, I am working on page 2!
  5. Embellish snowball for Nicki Lee. Finished and mailed on Monday. 
    Under the Sea "Snowball" for Nicki Lee
  6. Embellish a snowball for Lynne by November 15th. I have made some progress.
  7. Share pictures of the snowball I mailed to Lori after she receives it. (It should reach her by November 14th.)
Long-term: 
  1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
  2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
  3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
  4. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
  5. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block.
  6. Piece August CQJP 2014 block. 
  7. Embellish August CQJP 2014 block.
  8. Piece September CQJP 2014 block. 
  9. Embellish September CQJP 2014 block.
  10. Embellish October CQJP 2014 block.
  11. Piece November CQJP 2014 block.
  12. Embellish November CQJP 2014 block.
  13. Piece December CQJP 2014 block.
  14. Embellish December CQJP 2014 block.
  15. Complete back panel and make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop
  16. Paint guest bathroom.

This Week's List of Goals:

 Short-term:

  1. Complete the wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. Complete quilting so it is ready to add the back and bind.
  2. Make a TAST post. 
  3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
  4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. 
  5. Embellish a snowball for Lynne by November 15th.
  6. Share pictures of the snowball I mailed to Lori after she receives it. (It should reach her by November 14th.)
  7. Make a birthday gift.
  8. Create a block in exchange for the sitting fee for my son's senior pictures. (This will stretch my creativity, as the requested topic is out of my comfort zone.  I ordered specific fabric from an Etsy shop to help with the theme.  This should be fun!) 
  9. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block.
Long-term: 
  1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
  2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
  3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
  4. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
  5. Piece August CQJP 2014 block. 
  6. Embellish August CQJP 2014 block.
  7. Piece September CQJP 2014 block. 
  8. Embellish September CQJP 2014 block.
  9. Embellish October CQJP 2014 block.
  10. Piece November CQJP 2014 block.
  11. Embellish November CQJP 2014 block.
  12. Piece December CQJP 2014 block.
  13. Embellish December CQJP 2014 block.
  14. Complete back panel and make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop
  15. Paint guest bathroom.
  16. Make a thank you gift.
  17. Make a get well gift.
  18. Work on Christmas gifts.



Monday, November 10, 2014

CQI Heart DYB RR 2014 - My blocks are home!

My blocks from the Crazy Quilting International Heart Do Your Block Round Robin made their way home a few days ago and they are WONDERFUL!  I do not generally brag (in fact, I have a hard time accepting compliments), but I must admit I am one lucky lady.


Tahlia H. in Washington was the first to receive my blocks and she chose to embellish the heart block pictured above. (You can click on a picture for a larger image.) I wish my camera could catch the beauty of her silk ribbon roses better.  They are gorgeous! The charms and dangling hearts are so much fun, and I just LOVE the way she emphasized the swirls of the fabric with white stitching.  Thank you, Tahlia!  I just love it!  (You may view more of Tahlia's beautiful work on her blog at another-hobby.blogspot.com.)
 

Tahlia mailed my blocks to Alexandra H. in Texas.  Alexandra chose to embellish the "V" block.  The seam work is fabulous, the charms are darling, and I just love the tatted heart.  I adore the little white heart beads.  It is hard to tell from the picture, but several of the seams are worked with metallic floss.  That stuff is not easy to stitch with, but adds a beautiful shimmer.  I just love this block!  (Alexandra has a pattern store on Craftsy.com.  I just may have to try making the pumpkin mug rug pattern she offers for free.  You may check out her patterns here.)


Alexandra mailed the blocks to Barbara W. in Missouri.  Barbara chose to work on the heart block pictured above.  This was my second round robin with Barbara, and I just love that the embellishments she uses have a story of their own. This block will forever pull on my heart-strings. The pearl beads on this block were recycled from a wedding gown and gifted to Barbara from a sweet friend of hers that uses the fabrics of unwanted wedding gowns to make shrouds for stillborn infants.  Such a sweet thing to do...  The silvery pearly white thread is a new one from Japan. And, the vintage pearl button with the ladybug was painted by Gerry Krueger.  (You may know of Gerry through her amazing blog with wonderful tutorials at olderrose.blogspot.com and/or through her Etsy shop.)  While Gerry was working on her Suffrage Quilt, she and Barbara swapped buttons. Many of the buttons on the second lace heart are vintage pearl buttons, too.  This block is a treasure with a story of its own. I see it and think of love, loss, and passion.  Thank you, Barbara - for your lovely work and for sharing the stories of these lovely treasures.


Barbara mailed my blocks to Kathy S. in Maryland.  Kathy chose the "L" block.  I love the seam work, and the sequin trim.  Her heart is fabulous - you should see the way both the floss and the beads play with the light!  The lace heart with the heart button (that she found in Rhode Island) is darling.  And the flowers in the heart are just amazing!  Thank you, Kathy! I love it!


Kathy mailed my blocks to Lisa B. in Colorado.  Lisa chose the "O" block.  Her love and talent for fancy seam work is obvious on this block.  I cannot pick a favorite part.  I love that she added a few white silk ribbon roses that tie in perfectly with the ones Tahlia stitched.  The heart charm and heart beads are wonderful. And, I love the way the silver threads swirl along the lower-left seam, much like the swirls in the fabric in that corner.  Thank you, Lisa!  It is wonderful!  (You may see more of Lisa's lovely work on her blog at ivoryblushroses.blogpot.com.)

This leaves me with the "E" block to complete, but that will be a project for the year 2015.

Thank you so much for stopping by and seeing the lovely work everyone completed on my blocks.

Hugs,
Renee

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Another "Snowball" for Nicki Lee!

Last night, I completed my second Under the Sea (UTS) themed "snowball" for Nicki Lee.

CQI Snowball Swap - made for Nicki Lee by Renee November 2014
If you crazy quilt, you may know Nicki Lee through her Etsy shop, Raviolee Dreams, where she sells the most gorgeous dyed lace.

My very first snowball swap was in May/June 2013 with Nicki Lee, and I was SO nervous.  She preferred an under the sea/mermaid theme - something I had never tried.  As much as I wanted to make a mermaid, I just did not think I could pull it off.  I found a couple of cross-stitch patterns and made this snowball for her during that swap. (You may read more about it and see where I found the cross-stitch patterns here.)


In exchange, Nicki Lee sent me the wonderful snowball pictured below. (You may read my original post about it here.)



This year, when we agreed to swap again, I decided it was time to try a mermaid.  I had stumbled across a couple of free mermaid embroidery designs at Shawkl Designs (you may view them and more here), and planned to reduce the size of one, trace it onto the muslin back of my block in pencil, and embroider that pattern.

Then, while researching how to use watercolor pencils on fabric, I also decided to look up how to use crayons on fabric.  I passed a demonstration at a quilt show a couple of years ago and assumed the process would require special crayons, but I was wrong.  The technique intrigued me. After reading this tutorial at quiltingboard.com, I decided to draw a mermaid and color the fabric.  I had always wanted to try making a treasure chest, so I decided to give it a go, too.  You can see the bare block below. (The outlines were drawn with a permanent micron pen and heat set with an iron.)



After making it this far, I found myself intimidated.  Did I want to bead the mermaid's fin?  I feared it was too thin for sequins.  In the end, I experimented with a few stitches and used a modified detached chain stitch that opened in a bit of a "U" - I couched the thread down along the waist and then added the "U" stitches, working in rows, using 3 strands of a variegated floss.


Once I progressed to the point pictured above, I kind of froze.  Every time I looked at the block, I wondered how on earth I could possibly manage to add "hair" to the mermaid without ruining the entire piece.  So, it sat in my stitching area for a couple of days.  I would look at it and cringe.  Finally, I decided enough was enough.  It was time to tackle the challenge and (hopefully) conquer my fear.


After experimenting with short and long stitches and with stem stitches, I opted to use a single strand of floss and a stem stitch, because it would easily allow me to make small curves for a bit of curl.  I wanted to add some highlights to the hair, so I alternated between strands of DMC 422, 680, and 3046.  Ironically, the part that scared me the most turned out to be my favorite part of the block.

My first embroidered mermaid.
She is far from perfect, as my drawing skills are at a beginner's level; but, for my first mermaid, I am quite pleased with the way she turned out.

Embroidered/colored treasure chest.
Filling the treasure chest was also a bit intimidating.  I was not sure how I felt about the 3-dimensional beads with the 2-dimensional treasure chest.  But, I do love the sparkle the gold and gems add!

 

I was tempted to add bright colored fish (rather than the variegated blue) and a jelly fish  to the water, but I decided not to draw attention from this mermaid and her treasure.

Nicki Lee, I do hope you like it!  I had a lot of fun working outside of my comfort zone and trying a few new techniques.  Your mermaid will begin her journey to your home tomorrow.

Hugs,
Renee


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

WIP Wednesday 11/05/2014

Wednesday is here again, which means there are only 7 weeks until Christmas - so I need to either get started on my home made gift ideas or figure out a new plan. Gulp!

Last night, I made a bit more progress on my Winter/Christmas Wall Quilt (shown in the two photos above. Please note, you may click on any photo for a larger image.) The progress on this project is slow and steady.  I could probably push through and finish it before Christmas, but I would prefer to complete some home made Christmas gifts (possibly using CQJP 2014 blocks.)  So, we shall see...
I am SO excited to know that my blocks from the CQI Heart DYB Round Robin are on their way home!  Lisa shared pictures on her blog, Ivory Blush Roses.  If you would like to take a peek, just follow this link to her blog.  (I wonder if I can put these together before Valentine's day?!) Below is a picture of the blocks when I mailed them out.  I will share more details on the embellished blocks after they make their way home.
Over the weekend, I discovered Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED) had a 35% off Halloween Sale.  (I just checked, and the sale still appears to be going at the time of this post.) Let's just say, I spent WAY too much of my free time Sunday afternoon browsing through some of my favorite cross-stitch charts.  I finally had to have my boys help me choose between a few favorites.  They were shipped out on Monday, and should be here any day!  So, I am doubly motivated to finish the free chart of Santa and the Mouse that I have been working on.  (You may find the free charts available on the HAED site HERE.)  One of the charts I purchased will be the center piece for a quilt for my youngest son.  It is huge (32-pages), so I expect it to take me somewhere between 3 and 5 years to finish it.  My son is fine with that. I also chose 2 smaller charts I plan to incorporate into crazy quilts. (I am not affiliated with HAED.  I just think their charts are amazing!)

I encourage you to stop by at Pintangle.com to check out the progress others have made this week.  You may find this week's WIP Wednesday post HERE.  (If you are not familiar with WIP Wednesday, the details for this support group for stitchers is found HERE.)

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee

Last Week's List of Goals:

 Short-term:

  1. Complete the wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. Complete quilting so it is ready to add the back and bind. Progress seen above.
  2. Make a TAST post. Completed 2 stitches this week!
    TAST 43: Buttonhole Wheel Cups
    TAST 38: Drizzle Stitch
  3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
  4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. I completed more than 300 x-stitches this week. I completed the cuff section on page 1 of the chart, filled in some of Santa's beard, and began on the sleeve. Page 1 is nearly complete!
  5. Embellish snowball for Nicki Lee. This is about half done.
  6. Piece and embellish a snowball for Lori by end of October. Finished and mailed!  I am waiting for Lori to receive it before I share, so it will be a surprise.  However, waiting is HARD, so here is a tiny sneak peek.  Shhh.... It's a secret!
Long-term: 
  1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
  2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
  3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
  4. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
  5. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block.
  6. Piece August CQJP 2014 block. 
  7. Embellish August CQJP 2014 block.
  8. Piece September CQJP 2014 block. 
  9. Embellish September CQJP 2014 block.
  10. Embellish October CQJP 2014 block.
  11. Make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop. The front panel is complete.
  12. Piece and embellish a snowball for Lynne by November 15th. Pieced and part of the embellishments are complete.
  13. Paint guest bathroom.

This Week's List of Goals:

 Short-term:

  1. Complete the wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. Complete quilting so it is ready to add the back and bind.
  2. Make a TAST post. 
  3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
  4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. 
  5. Embellish snowball for Nicki Lee.
  6. Embellish a snowball for Lynne by November 15th.
  7. Share pictures of the snowball I mailed to Lori after she receives it. (It should reach her by November 14th.)
Long-term: 
  1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
  2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
  3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
  4. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
  5. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block.
  6. Piece August CQJP 2014 block. 
  7. Embellish August CQJP 2014 block.
  8. Piece September CQJP 2014 block. 
  9. Embellish September CQJP 2014 block.
  10. Embellish October CQJP 2014 block.
  11. Piece November CQJP 2014 block.
  12. Embellish November CQJP 2014 block.
  13. Piece December CQJP 2014 block.
  14. Embellish December CQJP 2014 block.
  15. Complete back panel and make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop
  16. Paint guest bathroom.



Tuesday, November 4, 2014

TAST 11/04/2014

Today, I completed two TAST stitches.  (To learn more about TAST - and to join in the fun - check out this post on pintangle.com.)

TAST #38: Drizzle Stitch

This is such a fun stitch!  It will be a great 3-dimensional addition to an under the sea (UTS) project I am working on.  I created 3 separate stitches with differing numbers of wraps, using 2 strands of a variegated DMC cotton floss.  Below is another picture, from a different angle.

TAST #43: Buttonhole Wheel Cups

I wondered if the buttonhole wheel cups could be used to create sea anemones on my UTS project.  Both of these cups were created with 2 strands of variegated DMC cotton floss.  
I created the shorter cup first.  After making the first ring of stitches around the buttonhole wheel, I realized I oopsed.  I went around each outer section of the buttonhole wheel 3 times (filling that section of thread), so the stitches were too tight together to reasonably add a second row.  So, I started again.
I added three rows to the buttonhole wheel to create the taller cup.  I think they will both work for sea anemones.  Now, I just have to decide which colors I want to use!

I would love to thank Sharon for sharing these dimensional stitches through Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST) at pintangle.com.  This is a break week for TAST, but you may see what others have been up to by following the links left in the comments on THIS post.

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee