Sampler update for Bay Area Sampler Guild

Here's a quick little update.
I didn't take the time to pull out the ironing board and heat up the iron, because I just wanted to snap a quick pic and post.
I really haven't spent much time on this lately.
I did take a wonderful trip (stitching in the back seat--3600 miles--and I took Dramamine so I wouldn't get nauseous--I planned stitching and stitching and stitching!) so I did get a bit done on it.

Anyway, that's what I have so far

the cake

I just had to include this here...
So, it was my birthday and my sister put the cake on the table when no human eyes were watching. My daughter and I walked by and saw it there.
With a BITE out of the corner.
 And there was my sweet puppy, Ruby. Looking like she knew something.
 Holly and I laughed and when I went to get the camera to take the picture, the guilty party moved in quickly and tried to get another bite! LOL

My girl wasn't guilty afterall.
Never assume... never believe anything you hear and only HALF of what you see!

Well, I'm going to make a good go at following through each month on posting! I have such good intentions when I start out.

Each month there is a topic to blog about.

Here it is for this month:
 "Reality or Fantasy. Which do you prefer to stitch? Figures or Abstract?"

Reality or Fantasy...

Hmmmm I like to stitch things that are intricate. That pose a challenge. That are not the "usual"
I prefer not "cutesy" things. I love pretty flowers and SPARKLE. Love the beads and the gold and silver braids. So I guess my things have a touch of the Fantasy to them.

Abract, never my thing. Makes me think Contemporary... I'm not crazy about Contemporary.

Anyways, there's my little comment for July!

 If anyone is interested, here's the info:

http://measi.net/measiblog/wipocalypse_main/2015_wipocalypse-basic-info-sign-up-page/

Happy Holiday weekend, I hope you get some stitching in. Its my birthday tomorrow!

WIPocalypce Eleanor update

Happy July Full Moon!

As you can see, I've done a bit of stitching on this queen  :)

Silver Lining Iris

I finished the lovely Iris for my mom, Iris.
I just might even enter it in the fair this fall, too.
Next step...frame it up!

p.s. Its a shame photography doesn't do the colors justice

Magnets

Hello my friends,

Thank you for your nice comments! They make me very VERY happy.

Vickie asked how I get the magnets to stay in place.

There are a couple of ways that I will share.

First of all, I like to use the "ring" ones. You can take some perle cotton size 12 and button hole thingy around the edge of it to cover it and make it look more pretty. And then you can use some clear thread (sewing thread kind) and stitch it on. I was going to do that and after I covered it, I decided I didn't want it to show afterall, so I hid it inside the lining.

If you're going to hide it inside the lining, its a good idea to stitch it to a small piece of linen to give it some extra strength.

After I did that, I took my clear sewing thread and stitched around the outside of my design (I think one side was where the seahorse was) so I just stitched around the seahorse to enclose the area.

I actually used 2 different sizes of magnets. One was bigger than the other. These magnets are SO STRONG that they can be difficult to pull apart.
I used #R841  (.52 each)  and #R842  (.83 each)....plan ahead, there is a $5 shipping charge.  I used to mind high shipping charges for small purchases, but now I think to myself, "It would sure cost a lot more than that if I had to drive there and get it myself!"

Here's the site I use to get my magnets
http://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=16

I hope you all have a wonderful day

Just Nan Pouch front

Here's the completed look for the front. This is what I came up with after copying and pasting and repasting...
(I still need to get some hand dyed silk ribbon to "ruch" the sides)

There are magnets inside the lining for the closure.

Just Nan pouch back

Here's what I came up with!

My Just Nan pouch

Remember when I showed you  Siren's Sampler from Just Nan? I bought it to combine with the Mermaid's Heart, also from Just Nan.

So I got busy cutting and pasting until I came up with something I liked.

I've been busy stitching. I'll show it to you very soon now...

Silver Lining iris update

As promised,  here's my update.
Oh, and the name of the design is "Snow Mound"
Thank you everyone for your comments, I love them!!!

Another Silver Lining iris

In my newly organized stash, I  found this iris that my mom had started. This is how it was last week when I pulled her out and put her on the Q snaps.

I'll post next time I move it around.

I'm feeling so productive!
Enjoy your weekend,  I already am

Silver Lining iris

My friend, Valerie came over and we organized my stash...
She  had us gather together all the charts...and put them in one spot.
Then she had us gather together all the UFOs... and put them in a different spot.
And then all the kits--not started at all...
And then the finished things that still needed to be made into something.

SO!
I pulled out this iris that my mom had started and worked half of. (My mom was a Gemini and she loved to start things, do half of them and then off to the next exciting thing!)

I finished it up.
I love that she put dates on the chart of when she started it.
This was one of the very first pieces she did, back in 2003.


I sure miss my mom but its really nice to be able to finish some of her things.

Just Nan

I finished!
And, if you can tell, I added lots of sparkle! lol
I think what I'm going to do now is figure out how to make it into a little purse thing.
I purchased the Just Nan Mermaid chart, Under the Sea or something like that...Siren? I forget (its in the other room...) and I want to take parts of it and make it work. Like...the mermaids could be the flap...

We'll see!
Oh I know... I could add a screen shot. lol

There we go

Just Nan Mermaid Heart

Here's a pretty something I'm working on.
I just have the outer border to do now.

I think it needs some Kreinik and or Rainbow Gallery sparkle braids!
(It just wouldn't be "mine" without those added sparkles)
Those will  be next. For sure.

Happy Easter my friends

My Goodness!!!!

HELLO!!!!

I really didn't disappear from the stitching world.
In fact, I just got back from a wonderful weekend retreat with my local guild, BASG (Bay Area Sampler Guild) and my other stitching group, Stitchers by the Bay.
The weather was lovely, the company super wonderful and the food was delicious. And we all did stitching all day long and into the night!
I think its like my 6th or 7th year.
EVERYONE should be so lucky!

So, this cute kitty you see at the top of this post was a Christmas gift from a friend of mine.  Her name is Janet (I sure love her!). Well, Janet isn't a stitcher but she somehow got a stitching catalog in the mail and she saw this kit and thought I would like it. When she told me she found me something to stitch I was a little bit apprehensive--you all know we don't always like or want to stitch what the next person does... but I really do love this cute kitty!

He actually had his whole long, tall, sitting body but I didn't think it was necessary to stitch it all. So I made him shorter and will see about making him into a zippered project bag. With cute Christmas fabric, I think he'll be great.

Anyway, I must run, lots to do--and I must walk my puppy now, whose not so much a puppy as she was!
She looks at me like this when she wants her walk. lol
Next comes the paw in my lap and after that, the BARK!

That's our 13 yr old Kuvasz in the background in protective custody. If Ruby had her way, she'd be all over the poor guy.

And here's our Ruby, caught doing something she shouldn't be doing!

Have a great day and have fun stitching  :)