♪ Fa La L a La La ♪

I've been on quite a Christmas stitching binge this Summer. I saw this cute design the last time I visited my LNS and of course, I'm a sucker for Lizzie Kate. This is the first cube finish I've attempted and I'm pleased with the way it turned out. As it turns out I had to do 3 cube finishes, quite a task one day. Vonna at The Twisted Stitcher has a great tutorial for cube finishes if you are interested in trying one.

I had so much fun shopping for the materials to finish this project. Trying to decide on ribbon, bows, and just looking through all the Christmas craft items for ideas was a great was to spend an afternoon. I could not find a material I wanted at the usual places like JoAnn Fabrics and Hobby Lobby, I even looked at Wal-Mart. No Luck.

As I was driving to my favorite place in the world (Sonic) to get my afternoon slurpie pop I took the back way in and drove past the local quilt shop. Now, my caffeine starved brain must have been screaming keep going.........keep going.... because I almost dismissed my thought of stopping in lieu of the all mighty Route 44 Diet Cherry Coke.

Never having been in the quilt shop before I wasn't sure I would find much. Wow, was I surprised. Wall to wall material. $45 later I walked out with a bag full of remnants and assortments perfect for finishing my small projects. What a great find. They even carry some fibers. They will definitely be seeing me again, probably in the all too near future.

I have been gearing myself up for the approaching school year. That means my unlimited stitching time is coming to an end. I'm looking forward to a new year and a new batch of kiddos. I guess that means I had better prioritize my stitching projects....I think that will require more caffeine.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Retro Christmas Ornaments.........Finally!

Wow! I didn't think that a little set of ornaments would take so long to finish. In reality it only took 2 weeks but I had envisioned them taking a few days. I found the patterns in a Cross Stitch Christmas book I checked out from the library. They caught my eye immediately and I couldn't wait to stitch them. I'm not sure exactly what it is about them, but I adore the design. I think they remind me of a set of pink ornaments my mom had. My sister now cares for them and they are a favorite of ours.

I faced a hard decision when starting to stitch.....aida, perforated paper, plastic canvas. I had plenty in my stash to choose from but I pondered it heavily. I had started referring to myself as a linen snob after discovering linen several years ago. I love to stitch on linen and most of my current or just finished projects are stitched on linen.

So....back to my decision. 14 mesh plastic canvas it is. I had never used plastic canvas to cross stitch. But can you think of a better medium to use for "retro" work. I'm pretty sure that no other fabric would convey the feeling these ornaments bring about.

And the verdict is.................
I love stitching on plastic canvas. I've use perforated paper many times and have enjoyed the results but I think there is a noticeable difference in how the stitches lay on canvas.
I love trying new things in my needlework and I'm so pleased with the way the ornaments turned out. I will definitely use plastic canvas again for ornaments or that special project.

Now I have another difficult decision to make..........What to stitch next?

~Happily Ever After~

Before I end I want to wish my two good friends Marcus & Katie congratulations on their recent wedding. They married a couple of weeks ago on a beach in Hawaii and their mainland reception was last night. A good time was had by all. I know they will have a happy life together!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

We Have a Winner!!!!

Congratulations to MommyDearest. She is the winner of the Trail Creek Farm Summer pillow kit.
I want to thank everyone for their interest in my blog. Stay tuned... another giveaway is coming soon.

I have been working on a set of retro Christmas ornaments since my last post. I am getting close to finishing and can't wait to see the final results.

Today I decided that it was time to clean out my office/craft room. What was I thinking? I have managed to make more mess than organization. Maybe tomorrow will bring more motivation.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

My Focus Never Waivered................ Beaded Summer Magnets

Mill Hill Spring Bouquet Beaded Magnets

As I've said before I am easily distracted! These quick to stitch magnets were so cute that I maintained my focus and finished them in a couple of days.

Shades

Flip Flops

They are now at home on my refrigerator. My husband even noticed the new addition which was validation to just how cut they are.

Beads are a great addition to cross stitch projects. The Mill Hill Kits are a great way to get started and see how you like beading. The kits come with everything you need to get started. Perforated paper, floss, beads, needles, etc. (Now I need to contact Mill Hill about receiving kickbacks for promoting their products :-)

Bead work goes very fast as seed beads only use a half cross stitch to attach the bead. Petite beads which are smaller usually use a full cross stitch. Bugle beads (long tubes) use an elongated stitch.

I have never been able to complete a french knot successfully so I often use petite beads instead.

A Tacky Bob is a great product to assist you with bead work. It resembles a small cd case but on the inside it is sticky. The beads stick lightly to the adhesive and won't move when you stick the needle in the bead. You can simply pick up a bead and keep stitching.

My next project~

I found a pattern for some cute retro Christmas tree ornaments. I'm stitching them now on 14 ct. mesh plastic canvas. I've never used plastic canvas for cross stitch so I'll let you know how they turn out.

On another note...........

My 9 year old Miniature Schnauzer got to come home from the "hospital" last night. He's been dealing with an illness for about 4 weeks now and ended up staying at the vet for a week. I missed him terribly while he was gone, hence all the stitching projects I completed in my attempt to keep busy. Hopefully he's through the worst of it. I find I stitch much better when he is laying in the chair with me. He's missing hair on both legs and his belly and the rest is matted but he's still a site for sore eyes.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

Trail Creek Farm Summer Pillow Giveaway

This super cute Trail Creek Farm Summer Pillow kit could be yours. Blog followers can enter to win by typing Summer in the comments section of this post. Don't delay................last day to enter is July 14th. New friends are always welcome so start following my blog today.

Have a great day!

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan

This Ain't Your Grandma's Tissue Box Cover

While I was browsing through the library the other day I came across a section containing plastic canvas patterns. I was transported back to my younger years when it seemed like all things crafty involved plastic canvas. I can remember my mom making tissue box covers for all of her sisters one year for Christmas. They were made using an alternating scotch stitch in brown variegated yarn. I am not sure why I remember this after 30 years but I can remember wanting to help her make the covers.

I'm not sure what possessed me to look through the plastic canvas pattern books. I was pleasantly surprised at the projects I found and couldn't resist checking out a book that had some great summer patterns. After leaving the library I immediately went to the store and bought plastic canvas and yarn. I went home and obsessively started to stitch the tissue box cover. I was surprised at how quickly it stitched.
My tissue box cover is now in my guest bath, perfectly coordinating with my bathroom decor.

I'm not sure if or when I will start a new plastic canvas project but it was fun to try something new. I definitely have a new found appreciation for a craft from my childhood memories.
That makes me wonder what crafts from your childhood you have revisited as an adult. Is it something you crafted or saw others craft.

The tissue box cover is from the book Porch & Patio Plastic Canvas by The Needlecraft Shop 2006.

Keep on stitchin' on,
Nan

Christmas Ornaments in July?

I'm reminded of the commercials that retailers air about how their prices are so low it's like Christmas in July. It seems like an unlikely time of year to think about Christmas but I love to stitch Christmas ornaments year round. I am always on the look out for new patterns and bought several a few weeks ago when I visited a needlework shop.



The Santa is a pattern from a Leisure Arts Christmas Ornaments book copyrighted 2003. It was stitched on white perforated paper using the listed DMC threads. The finish was completed by using white and green stiff felt and medium rick rack for the hanger.

The Noel ornament was stitched on 14 ct. white aida using Treasure Braid. The finish is a flat ornament finish trimmed in gold.

I started out my summer nursing my 9 year old miniature schnauzer back to health. He had surgery and I've stayed home with him for about two weeks. It gave me lots of time to stitch and create a huge mess in the office and living room.

One positive that came of my "down time" was finding new ways to access cross stitch patterns. I was on the public library's site one day looking for books and had the idea to type in cross stitch. I was amazed at the amount of books I had access to. Our library is a member of a statewide inter library loan program so I am able to borrow any book from across the state. Before I knew it I had about 15 books on hold. I picked several of them up today (ignoring the strange looks from the librarian) and have already put post-its on about 10 ornaments I want to stitch.


I am so excited to have found this new resource. I have been obsessed with cross stitch for 20 years and it never occurred to me to check the library. Please comment on where you've found unexpected access to cross stitch patterns. You never know, sometimes the obvious to you is news to others. I'm reminded of another saying, if it was a snake it would have bit ya.

Keep on stitchin' on,

Nan