Merry Christmas and a Finish

Well, I see it's not quite finished - I just noticed the duck  goose on the right does not have a ribbon around her neck.  This is on 22 count fabric but I will always check for 1/4 stitches before I use 22 count fabric again.  I still need to determine how I will mount it on the small washboard that will hang in the laundry room.  This might well be my last finish for 2014.   My list of finishes seems a bit short this year but rather than trying to figure out what I did all year I will just look forward to a more productive 2015.

We are having a Merry Christmas and I hope everyone else also has a wonderful day.

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. [Proverbs 23:7]

Too Much Hand sewing

It seems I couldn't stop making trees (see this post for info about the pattern).
Then someone on the 123Stitch message board posted a link to the Santa ornament (Click Here) on Pinwheel Ponders' site.
Well they are so cute I had to make a few of those, too.  I also saw a tutorial for strip piecing the ornament here.
Now I just spent the morning sewing the openings closed on the bottom of the trees and attaching a jingle bell on top of each.
Then I sewed a 6mm gold bead to each Santa's hat and stitched the opening closed that was used to turn it right side out.
My fingers do not want to do any more hand sewing today but I do smile every time I look at a tree or a Santa.

Edit regarding Santa ornaments:
I had little hat shaped pieces left over when I traced the pattern onto the strip pieced fabric set so if I make more I think I will sew more fabric strips to the opposite side of the hat piece for another face and beard.  Then I can rotate and trace the pattern upside down in between the traced snowmen on the first side.
I also found it was easier to turn them right side out by leaving the opening on one lower edge of the beard so I wasn't turning where there were seams of the face.

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. [Proverbs 23:7]

No More Achy Breaky Back

I have been using a standard (30" x 60") folding table as a cutting table for over 30 years - probably the same one, if I could remember that far back.
Anyway, when I really get into cutting fabric I never want to stop and the next day I often have a dull ache in my lower back.  A couple of days ago I spent too much time at my cutting table and starting whining about the ache in  my lower back from bending over my table.
DH immediately said, "Well I can fix that - how high do you want your table to be?"  Of course, I had no idea how much higher it needed to be but the next day I did some cutting at our kitchen island which is very comfortable height for making pie crust or cookies.  I loved it.
So DH got some pvc pipe and figured how long to cut the pieces so that when they hit the turn/support area of the leg there would be enough pvc pipe to raise the table to the same height as the kitchen counter.
I was so excited - I did an immediate happy dance followed by a very big hug and many thank you, thank you, thank yous . . .
DH said I really should thank our youngest son because he had mentioned that many of the people who set up tables for various events in downtown Phoenix have modified their tables in this fashion.
After spending another day with my "new" table I am so delighted and my back is very happy with me.

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. [Proverbs 23:7]

Because I have nothing to do

Actually my to do list is huge, but nothing looked like fun to me today.
Over on the 123Stitch message board a lady posted pictures of her stuffed Christmas Trees and a link to the instructions soon followed.
This took me several hours but it was such fun I think I must make another one.
Here is a link to the instructions - CLICK HERE to see the tutorial.
Have a great month.

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. [Proverbs 23:7]

Oh no not another start

I blame DH for this new start.  After another productive day of yard saling, he brought home a small wash board for use in a sink and I immediately remembered that I have been wanting to stitch this chart for my laundry room.  I measured the top of the wash board and determined that if I used 22 count fabric my chart would fit in the little space at the top of the washboard.  I thought how long could it take to stitch such a cute little pattern, right?  I should have studied the chart more carefully before I started because there are a lot of 1/4 stitches, which I have never attempted on 22 count fabric - my eyes are not a bit happy about this latest start so it won't be such a quick finish.  The chart is in the April 1989 Leisure Arts magazine pictured.  The Paula Vaughn cover picture is also on my to do list.

Have a great month of happy stitching.

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. [Proverbs 23:7]