StitchinByTheLake

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year!

I don't know about you but I'm ready! Ready for the new year with all it's new beginnings. There are new people to meet, new friends to make, new blog posts to read, new quilts to make, new....oh, the excitement of all the new things a new year can bring!

I don't make resolutions but I do plan/hope to do a few healthy things. I joined Jazzercise a month ago and I love it! I go three or four days a week and I can already tell the difference. I'm eating healthier, cutting back on sugar in particular, and having fewer diet sodas.

2014 is the year my husband and I will celebrate our 50th anniversary - not until October - and are planning a wonderful trip to reward ourselves for meeting that milestone. And speaking of rewards...I'm going to take the late Erma Bombeck's advice and use the good china, figuratively speaking, since I gave mine to my daughter some years ago!. I'm not saving favorite things for some ambiguous later. I'm going to be sure that I smile a lot, tell people I love them, and savor each day. I'm going to finish some UFOs but if I don't I'm not going to feel guilty. I'm going to start some new quilts just for the fun of it, even when the UFOs are calling my name.

And I'm going to share more - I'm going to give away some patterns and some fabric because, Heaven knows, I have more than I can ever use. So be watching...there are some giveaways coming your way!

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve, a fantastic New Year's Day, and an amazing New Year!

Blessings to you and yours,

Marlene

Saturday, December 21, 2013

A Little Stitchin' On Wool

I got this pattern from Primitive Gatherings last week...I love working on something like this at night when I'm watching television. It's going to be a pincushion soon.

This is what I'm working on today. A small table mat...would be perfect for a glass of milk and a couple of cookies for Santa. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Christmas Stitching

Like most of you I've been spending as much time as possible in my sewing room doing some stitching for Christmas presents. I bought sewing machines for three of my granddaughters so, of course, they need a few things to go with the machines. First I made sewing machine covers...simple rectangles with some rick rack added.

Then I made a trifold sewing kit using one I had gotten as a gift from a friend as my pattern.

I'm wondering...what would you put in these sewing kits? So far I've gotten a tape measure, seam ripper, seam gauge, bobbins and pins. I think I need some hand and machine needles and some thread...what am I leaving out?

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Saturday, December 7, 2013

This Is Not Snow and Is It Christmas yet?

We got two inches of sleet this week. Sleet. I'm so grateful it wasn't freezing rain and our electricity didn't go off! I'm sewing up a storm...love being stuck in the house!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Saturday, November 30, 2013

A Funny Kid and A Winner

Our son and his family came for Thanksgiving. So much fun! Andrew, who is "about to turn 5" in his words, was ready for bed when he discovered he had forgotten his sleeping companion. He came running in to me and said, "Grandma, where do you keep your stuffed animals?" After all, everybody keeps stuffed animals, right? :) And what Grandma doesn't? I happened to have 2 teddy bears in the closet, in case of emergencies!

The winner of my giveaway on the Black Tie Boogie Blog Hop is Carolyn from Sew. Darn. Quilt. I've e-mailed her and will be sending out her two charm packs next week. Congratulations Carolyn!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Black Tie Boogie - Today's The Day!

Today's the day I get to show you the projects I made for this hop - and I have to say this has been one of my very favorites! I love this idea that Madame Samm came up with and the great way Vickie has handled the organization chores for us.

It's been simply gorgeous here on the lake this year so it was hard for me to stay in and sew....just look at this beautiful scene I'm blessed to see outside my window.

I started out a bit slow even though I had several things in mind when I first heard about this hop. I was in Missouri visiting my sister when I ran across a panel in a quilt shop there that I knew couldn't be passed up. It was for this cute apron:

My friend Sandy agreed to model it for me but I promised not to show her face. :) This one is for my sister because she has, and loves, 22 chickens!

With this panel came another smaller rooster off by itself on the panel and since "waste not, want not" I made it into a simple pouch with a velcro closure for all my hand embroidery/quilting/applique needles.

You can see it here peeking out of my grandmother's sewing basket.

I just thought this was a pretty picture with the sun shining in the patio door and right onto Mr. Rooster. :)

Then I dug back into my stash and UFOs and came up with these placemats. I had bought this fabric about 3 years ago at a shop in Greenwood, Arkansas but had put off cutting into it. I do love these!

I was visiting the local quilt shop one day and saw some more really cute chicken fabric and couldn't resist. Truth be told, I didn't try. :) I needed a simple machine cover that I could just toss over my sewing machine so this is a rectangle, quilted, with ric rac added.

But my favorite project of all is this quilt called Hip Chicks - it just makes me smile every time I see it. :) The hair and legs are ric rac and the beaks and wings are prairie points.

I have a new computer and I just learned today how to do this so you're getting an extra picture 'cause it made me smile! Going from a PC to a Mac definitely has a learning curve - a steep one!

Have you ever seen anything so cute? :)

If you've made it this far be sure to leave me a comment. I've got a couple of charm squares from Free Spirit that I bet someone would love to have. Just one comment will do and yes, I will ship internationally.