Secret Santa

I received this lovely gift from Karen Stewart. She was my Secret Santa. I love them!! The story behind the hearts -- they're cut from an old cq, batting and all. She had a difficult time stitching them together. I believe her fingers became a pin cushion. Then she put a rose scent in them. They smell so good. These will definately be treasured. Aren't they just beautiful?? She sent me lovely fabrics, threads, ribbons, beads , silkies,buttons and felt to make snowmen, laces, to make a beautiful winter block. Thank you so much Karen for all the wonderful gifts.

2008

Hope everyone had a safe and fun Christmas. Can't believe the year is almost over. On that thought I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. May this year be filled with lots of stitching, dyeing fabric and whatever it is you love to do. I have joined a challenge quilt group with a bunch of wonderful ladies, every three months we are to work on a quilt based on a certain theme. The first one is winter. I will be adding a link to this on the sidebar so if anyone wants to see what we are up to you can visit our blog. I am going to have a busy year this year, sure hope I can stay caught up, I will be working on the challenge quilts, in my dyehard group (a bunch of wonderful ladies who love dyeing fabrics) I will be doing what is called a nesting round robin. This consist of making a center block, and then each month a different border will be added, all using our handdye fabrics. Then in my surfacing group, I will be doing a quilt and there is a list of different techniques we choose to use, this will be a great learning experience for me and can't wait to learn these techniques. Plus between the three dyeing groups I am in I will be doing swaps of different types..Plus I will be doing Sharon's Take It Further Challenge. So looks like I will be a busy bee this year, not to mention my learning stitches from Carole Samples Treasurey of Crazy Quilt Stitches. One of my goals for the upcoming year is to blog better. There have been so much I have done and not blogged....shame on me. Also on the sidebar I will put a link to my dyeing blog. I have decided to keep this blog with sewing, embroidery, etc and put everything dye related in my new blog. Wishing everyone the best for 2008.

Week 51 Chained Bar

Well, talk about a stitch that gives you problems. lol I decided to give the chained bar a try. This is what I came up with. For some reason it took me forever to get the stitch figured out. I spent all afternoon yesturday doing these 6 chained bars. I believe these will make wonderful border stitches. On the top row I used 5 Perle cotton and Sassa Lynne Perle Fine for the chain. Second row I used a ribbon and DMC Floss. Third row I used Rachelette Med Gold Taupe and Krenik Silk Mori. Fourth row I used a Craft Yarn and 5 Perle Cotton. Fifth row both were done in 5 Perle cotton. Sixth row I used specialty threads and DMC Jewel Effects for the chain.
This piece was done toward the beginning of this year. Forget exactly when I done it. It is a buttonhole variation. Thought I would blog it since for some reason I never did. (g)

Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches

I have decided to take time out and learn all the stitches in Carole's book Treasury of Crazy Quilt stitches. I am learning to use her templates and make the stitches using them. These are the stitches I have gotten done so far. It will be a slow progress, but one worth the effort to better myself in embellishing cq blocks. This year will be dedicated to learning all the stitches in this book. I am making mini samplers with the stitches, and also use cardstock to put all the info of the template used, etc so that in the future when I want to use a certain stitch I have all the info I need to do it. You go through all the hard work figuring out which template and how to make the stitch, you definately want all that info written down for future use. (g)

Detached Holbein Stitches
E, F, & Comb Stitches

Alphabet stitches

Arrow stitches.

Fan Stitches

Detached Arrowhead Stitches.

Wedding

They grow up so fast don't they, it doesn't seem that long ago they were babies, here they are now Eric and Sam. My two middle sons of four. Eric asked Sam to be his best man. Another proud moment for a mother. At his turning blue ceremony I placed his blue ribbon on his uniform, and now here he is fixing to get married. Eric looks so sharp in his class A's and Sam in his tuxedo, a first for him and was he ever complaining how tight the tux fit. lol
Here is my DH , and my new daughter Erica. She is a beautiful young woman. I am so proud to have her as my daughter.
Eric and Erica cutting their wedding cake. I didn't get photos of it but she got icing up Erics nose and he had it all over her chin. I wished I had gotten pics of that.

Erica and her lovely brides maids.

Wedding Continued

The grooms cake,,I think they did a great job on the cake. I was worried that I got the cake to big , but it was almost all gone before I left. I hate getting pics made of myself, they never turn out good. lol The expression on my face Urgh....but then I was afraid I was fixing to mess the cake up lifting it up like this.

From left to right, Nick(groomsman) Eric and Erica (my son and now daughter) and son Sam (best man)





Erica holding up their marriage liscense.

Eric posing at his grooms table.