February Girl November 2, 2010

This lovely red oval hoop just arrived from the UK!!!

I was finally able to finish hooping up my “february” girl

and she is ready to be mailed to my secret Scrappy { Hoops } Swap partner!

“Februaury” by Sarah Jane embroidery pattern HERE.

I used THIS tutorial by Aneela to do the raw edge applique.

The back edges were cut with pinking sheers

and then glued the frame.

I used a Kaffe Fasset fabric for the back with a little raw edge applique.

This little hat was inspired by a pattern in Kajsa Wikman’s new book “Scandinavian Stitches”.

I can’t tell you how much I love THIS book and seriously want to make everything in it!

Her blog HERE is equally inspiring and fabulous!

And…I have even started on a couple of projects inspired by her lovely quilts and pillows

The little heart on the hat is cross stitched on 27 ct linen.

“february” and “mamaloves2read” were FMQ with a variegated thread on white linen.

Really, I had so much fun making this scrappy little hoop and can’t wait to make one to match R.’s new bed quilt…

more on that and my other projects later ;D

Happy sewing,

Colette

Stitching Bliss June 7, 2010

I’ve been having some stitching withdrawals lately…

I used to always have a cross stitch project hooped up and waiting.

After purchasing fabrics for my new sewing/quilting addiction

I haven’t had money left to buy the linen and variegated threads necessary for cross stitching.

And those items can be costly…$25-40 to work up a small cross stitch pattern and then there is the frame =0(

Not to worry… I’ve come across some very inspiring blogs Stitchlings HERE and Comfortstitching HERE

both with LOVELY embroidery goodness!

I just ordered this yummy book from Amazon HERE which I found on Georgia’s blog Stitchlings.

She also has a great pillowcase embroidery tutorial HERE

and has inspired me to make a few of these for my neice and nephews for Christmas this year!

And not to be missed are the adorable embroidery patterns from Comfortstitching at her Etsy Shop HERE!

I just picked up her Scoot pattern and will be making some “grown up” embroidered pillow cases with it =0)

(And be sure to check out her Girl on a Tree Mini Quilt Tutorial HERE because it is seriously FABULOUS!)

I’ve already got my hoops and white fabric (and lots of new patterns!)

and with a few inexpensive skeins of DMC floss (like 30 cents a piece!)

I’ll be on my way to stitching bliss!

Happy stitching,

Colette

Amma’s Present! April 5, 2010

Finally finished AND framed my Mother’s Christmas gift…from last year!

Better late than never right?

R. picked out the paint color, a shimmery purple, painted the 8×10″ frame, AND helped me with the rest of the framing!

Waxing Moon Designs pattern “What Happens at Grandma’s” here.

If only you could spend a weekend at Amma’s you would know how true this little stitching is!

Happy stitching,

Colette

Fairy Tale Fridays! February 26, 2010

Princess complete!, originally uploaded by sew’nquilt.

Fridays around here are also known as homeschooling “Fairy Tale Fridays”. While perusing the classics section at our favorite local bookstore, I came across the Calla Editions of “Stories from Hans Christian Andersen” with illustrations by Edmund Dulac (here) and “East of the Sun and West of the Moon Old Tales from the North” illustrated by Kay Neilsen (here) and just had to own them!

I can’t describe in words how enchanting they are to pick up and read with R…we really do get lost in fairy tale land.

The illustrations are so beautiful that I would love to buy another set and frame some of them up in her reading nook.

I also came across these beautiful embroidery patterns (The Princess and the Pea pictured above) over at the Follow the White Bunny blog (here) and instantly fell in love!  Nicole Vos van Avezathe designs are available here in her Etsy shop Kloin (although it is closed until next week) or on Magpie Patterns here. As soon as I finish my Mother’s cross stitch I am going to start on this to go with R.’s Far Far Away Charm School quilt from Alewives Fabrics (here)…I am thinking it would make a beautiful pillow if I do some patchwork around it.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Happy sewing,
Colette

WIP Sneak Peek February 11, 2010

My Mother is notorious for giving her grandkids sweets.  It’s one of those things that I’ve thrown my hands up in the air and given up nagging her over.  I found this What Happens at Grandma’s cross stitch pattern from Waxing Moon Designs and had to make it for her…it is so befitting!

When it is finished it will say “What happens at Grandma’s Stays at Grandma’s” and have candy and a lollipop stitched on it and a variety of sweet treats buttons from Just Another Button Company sewn on.  I will frame it in the suggested hand painted sweets frame.

One small problem…this was supposed to be her 2009 Christmas present, ha ha, she will get it soon!

Happy stitching,

Colette

First Gift Finished! January 21, 2010

As promised, here is the photo of my finished sweets mat from “Linen Wool Cotton” by Akiko Mano along with the beautiful authentic Japanese tea cup.

I can’t believe my Hubby’s client was going to just throw these away???  They are so beautiful.  Like they say one man’s trash is another woman’s treasure.  How lucky am I?

I finished all four of these yesterday and can’t wait to give them to my dear friend Amy as a belated birthday gift.  I have to say the directions in Akiko Mano’s book were quite easy to follow and I love the detailed drawings, it would be a totally perfect book if she just included some actual patterns with it.  There is a lovely dress and purse I would love to make but am nervous to try  just using the instructions that give angles to cut curves instead of a pattern.  I guess I will have to enlist DH for making the pattern myself.  These mats weren’t difficult to make but were time consuming.  I can’t imagine making these without a walking foot for your sewing machine.  Without the accessory I would be inclined to sew the crocheted lace to the mats by hand.  Now that hers are finished I will have to start on mine.

I am proud to say they are only 2 months late this year…last year she didn’t get her birthday gift until September.  Don’t the sweets mats go great with the Lizzie Kate “Tea Crazy” cross stitch I gave her last year (and I even framed it myself!) that hangs in her kitchen above her dining table (I also made one for my friend Molly and me of course)?  As soon as I saw the sweets mats I knew I had to make them for her.  Our little girls loving going out for tea and having tea parties (as do we!) and I thought these would be perfect for hosting tea parties in her own kitchen.

Aimee's Birthday Gift Last Year

With one gift down I am excited to move onto a gift for my cousins’ son!  I wonder how many gifts I will make this year???

10 Years! January 15, 2010

I can’t believe I’ve been married an entire decade!  I am very fortunate to have married my best friend.  We were married in Vegas and just before we walked down the aisle together, hand in hand, while “Elvis” sang “Fools Rush In”, in a small wedding chapel filled with family and friends, an older gentlemen (a perfect stranger) shared his love story (he had been married a gazillion years) with D and then gave him a “lucky” $2 bill for a wedding present.  If you look in D’s wallet, you will still find it tucked away in a pocket.  It has been our lucky charm.  It’s nice to think that somewhere out there a lovely old man and the love of his life have been rooting for us all of these years.  Someday, when we have been married a gazillion years, I hope to go back to the same location and have D do the same for someone else.  It’s the little things, the sentimental things, that help see you through.

Now the bill wasn’t a hand made gift, but it has a story, and we will treasure it always.  It is in this same spirit that I give my handmade gifts.  Last year for our anniversary I made D this cross stitch to hang in our room (I admit I didn’t finish it until last Sept, but no matter!)

Love

It was lovingly hand stitched using the suggested linen and over dyed floss from the JBW Designs pattern French Country Love.  I have stitched up several of the JBW Designs patterns and love their simplicity, beauty, and that most of the patterns don’t require too many different flosses (the cost of those over dyed flosses can add up quickly!)  Now what can I make for him this year???