Zig-a-Zag Table Runner Complete

I finished the grey flowered Zig-a-Zag Table runner this week. I wanted to make sure all the stitching was completed on it prior to work being done on my new craft room. I quilted in the ditch and bound it by folding the backing fabric over to the front. All of the fabric was from my stash so its even more gratifying that it is completed.

Grey Zig-a-Zag Table Runner

Quilted in the Ditch

Grey Zig-a-Zag Table Runner - Complete 2/2/2015

Happy Stitching Everyone!

Check on 30 Days of New Starts

I had planned on making new starts every day from 12/25 - 1/24 in honor of Deborah Faris Bryant who passed away earlier in 2014 unexpectedly. She was the first blogger I came across when I started blogging and wanted to do something to honor her memory. I wanted to check in on the things I have worked on/completed since Christmas:
12/25 - Dishrag (easy travel crafting for me)

12/26 - Dishrag (again easy travel crafting)

12/27 - Table runner - I started piecing together the block following a pattern from Jenny Doan at Missouri Star Quilt company.

12/28 - Santa's Office - I worked on this one from 12/28 until today so far. I really enjoy it so I am keeping it on the Q-snaps. This is the picture as of Today. :) I have had this one kitted up ready to go for over a year.

Joan Elliot's Santa's Office
World of Cross Stitching Magazine from my stash
16ct. White AIDA and called for DMC

12/29 - Dishrag

12/30 - Dishrag - I decided to start working through a dishrag pattern book from Leisure arts that are quilt block patterns. This is the first one that I completed - Amish Diamond

Amish Diamond - Lily's Sugar and Cream Yarn

12/31 - Dishrag - Block #2 from the book. - 9 patch

9 patch - Lily's Sugar and Cream cotton

1/1 - Dishrag - Block #3 - Dutchman's Puzzle

Dutchman's Puzzle - Lily's Sugar and Cream Cotton

1/2 - Dishrag - Block #4 - Variable Star

Variable Star - Lily's Sugar and Cream Yarn

I have a few things in the plans for the upcoming days. It will be a lot harder when I go back to my real job on monday but I am really liking the production and seeing my cotton yarn stash reducing.

Happy stitching Everyone!

Sewing and Yarn Check-in for the year

So I thought a retrospective of what I have completed would be interesting for sewing/quilting projects and for knitting/crocheting. So I am going to start with the knitting/crocheting:

And with the Quilting:

Combined with my stitching finishes...I am feeling pretty good about things! my next post will be an update on year goals and plans for next year. :)

I have decided to take part in Wipocalypse, Smalls SAL, Stitch from my stash (helping Admin) !

July Goals

I figured I should check in on my May Goals (yes..A month Late) before I lay out my July Goals. So away we go:

May Goals Check in:
1.) Complete Winter Mandala: DONE
2.) Complete Binding on Patriotic Table Runner: DONE (my MIL loved the table runner as it was a gift for her birthday. I forgot to get a picture so I will have to have her send me one)
3.) Complete Christmas Table Runner Top and Quilt it: Top done but Not Quilted together so HALF DONE
4.) Complete Geometric Placemats: Didn't even touch them in 2 months (yikes!)
5.) Complete 10 inches of the seed stitch wrap: DONE (it now measures 15" and 10" of it was finished by 5/28)
6.) Work on Another WIP - Worked on Dream Catcher: DONE
7.) Stich from my Stash - May: DONE and June: Not even close

Since I will be back in my home for the bulk of July, I have decided to set some daunting goals for July.

July Goals:
1.) Complete Christmas Table Runner
2.) Complete geometric Placemats
3.) Knit 10" more on Seed Stitch Wrap
4.) Finish Dream Catcher
5.) Complete Stitching on Lady and the Flag - my MIL wants to do the beading on her
6.) Blog at least once a week.
7.) Stich from my Stash - Spend nothing
8.) Start on a new baby blanket - Already assigned to a future little man.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

Stitch from my Stash - April 2014 Report

This month saw more leaving my stash than coming in again via the Stitch from my Stash:

Carryover: $38.22

April budget: $25.00

April spend: $2.33 - 1 spool of thread

April budget left over: $22.67

Total Carryover to May: $60.89

The Projects that I worked on this month are as follows:

New Starts: Winter Mandala, Eagle Table Runner, Prayer shawl for my grandmother

WIPs or UFOs: NOEL

Finishes: Pinky Baby Blanket, 2 St. Charles Ornaments, NOEL, Ohio State placemats

Stash Consumed: 

Yarn: 1492 yds for blanket

Fabric: 2 yds for table runner, 2 yads for placemats and coasters

Stitching: NOEL kit consumed, scrap 36ct linen and some floss for ornaments.

All in all in was a good month! Happy Stitching everyone! Hopefully I can remember to take progress pics when I get home later.

IHSW recap

This past weekend was International Hermitting and Stitching Weekend where one can sign up to hermit with some projects to dedicate set time to getting them done. I focused on 2 projects this weekend. The first being the Winter Mandala by Ink Circles. I put my first stitch in on Friday night and by Sunday evening, this was my progress:

Winter Mandala - Ink Circles
16ct. White AIDA
Called for DMC

I also worked on a Table runner that will be a gift for my mother-in-law. My dear husband picked out the fabric so I spent a lot of saturday determining the design and size of things. I completed piecing together the entire top and intend to quilt it sometime this weekend.

Eagle Table Runner
Progress 4/20/2014

Eagle Table runner, close up of fabric choices.

All in all it was a very productive weekend. My dear husband is going to his cousin's wedding out of town this weekend and I am taking those days off to have a crafting Marathon. Hopefully it will be a productive marathon.

Happy Stitching everyone!

IHSW checkin and 2 Happy Dances!

Last weekend was International Hermitting and Stitching Weekend and I managed to get some stitching done in a variety of forms! (if you want info on IHSW, check out the button on the right hand side).

First, I completed a small Cross Stitch project called "Thanks Clip" By Cherry Wood Design Studios that I picked up at my LNS sometime last year. I didn't have the Weeks Dye Works fabric in Guacamole so I used a Piece of 30ct. WDW in Cappucino instead. I think it looks good with that color as well. It was a Kit that came with Dinky Dyes Silk floss. It was my first time using the silk and I loved it!

Here is a picture of the overall design so that you can see the finishing with the provided clip includes the word Thanks.

Second, I also did some stitching work on the Dream Catcher Lap Blanket. This was a stamped lap blanket kit that my dear MIL bought me to make for my FIL. Unfortunately, I was punching holes in my fingers trying to use the kit as it. So on Saturday morning, I began putting a grid on the paper pattern that came in the kit so that I could transfer the design to a large piece of 14ct. Cream AIDA that I have in my stash. I was bale to put about 200 stitches into the Project over the rest of the weekend so all was not lost. When I make some more progress, I will post some pictures on here. I will say the transfer to AIDA has my hands thanking me. :)

Finally, I was able to finish a Quilt Project this weekend (Finally).

The table runner for my mom is about 54" long with 4 panels running down the center that have black sashing vertically between them and wine cork and purple square borders horizontally above and below them. I can actually say, I am really happy how this one came out. The binding was worrying me but I chose black and machine binded it so that she can wash it in her washing machine. I did some straight-line quilting along the sashing. Hopefully she likes it.

I also finally made Sidney the penguin into a pillow for the spare room bed for now. He may make it into my room before you know it.

I used some spare Batik Fat quarters and a spare 12" pillow form I had lying around. All from my stash :)

This week I am hoping to make some headway on the Baby Blanket that is due in the next month because there are 2 more coming in the next 2 months.

Happy Stitching everyone!