Stuff...All Kinds of Stuff

I made this Victorian Heart Pincushion as a challenge project with the Yahoo Stitchmap Group (see link on sidebar). Since I don't know anyone that sews I get to keep it as my own Christmas present.

Potholders for my DD and SIL who are avid mushroom hunters.

These are kind of pasta or Italian themed. They will go to some of the many family members I try to give a hotpad every year. Inside is Insulbrite and terrycloth so they are thick.

Peace, baby! Groovy potholders for some of those 70s love children! (Where are my bellbottoms when I need them).

Yummm...chocolate.

The chocolate hotpads will go into kitchen sets for some lucky gift recipients. The chocolate embroidery transfers are enbroidered (by me) on flour sack dishcloths and I crocheted a dishcloth to complete the set.

A couple more crocheted dishcloths on a pile of hotpads waiting for embroidered dishrags (er, I mean dishcloths) to complete a set.

And, finally, I think this is the last of the pillowcases I think I need to make for gifts. These go with the "Fruit Basket Upset" quilt I made for my oldest son for Christmas.

The Case of the Floating Jar

I've finished my last Christmas gift quilt for this year. It's for my youngest son. It's a bookcase quilt full of jars of sand (he collects them from places he and others go on vacation), candy (his daily diet), aquariums, books, money and all sorts of other goodies. It wasn't until I took this picture that I noticed I left one jar floating above the shelf. How it does that is a mystery to me! And so I've labeled this one "The Case of the Floating Jar". Get it? (My husband didn't).

Bound for Turkey

Bound: I finished sewing on the binding on 3 baby quilts last night. They are made of scraps - novelty fabric fronts, batting scraps from other quilt projects, flannel scraps pieced together for the back. Nothing fancy but they should keep a few babies warm.

Bound: I mailed them this morning. They are now bound for Turkey- victims of the earthquake sleeping in tents in wintery conditions. I hope they have a safe and speedy trip and warm some children's hearts and hands.

Angels

My work on Peggy Sue's angel themed block. Remember the old string rag dolls? Several years ago I made some Christmas ornament angels like the old string dolls. I thought I would make one in miniature for the block. I used a large bead for the head. The rest is nothing too spectacular - mostly metallic threads for bling. And so the angels are amongst us.

Out of Scraps Comes a New Beginning

Yesterday a lady who lives in Turkey sent out a message to the CQI (Crazy Quilting International) Yahoo Group requesting quilts for the kids who are victims of the Istanbul earthquake. They are living in tents in cold winter conditions. I dug out my bin of kid scraps - leftovers from I Spy quilts, ends from quilt swaps and baby quilts - and started cutting and sewing together scraps for a new beginning as quilts for kids. 

I have 3 tops made and tomorrow after work I hope to get my batting scraps sewn together as well as fabrics (possibly flannel) for backings. Hopefully I will have them quilted, bound and ready to mail this weekend. Three quilts seem so meager in the grand scheme of things but I hope they get good use. They are nothing fancy but will be warm. And I hope the families in Istanbul can also rise up from the rubble and start new beginnings soon.

And once again I thought I was caught up on Christmas presents and could work on something for myself yesterday. Soon, I hope, I will be able to finish what I have started...

But then again...it's not all about me.

The Latest Craziness

This is my work on Peggy Sue's block for the sewing themed RR.

This is my section of Peg Sue's block done by the entire group.

This is the entire group block after Ruby, Carol and me. Lorrie and Ruby need to add to it now.

This is my work on Susan's winter themed block. For the pine sprigs and holly leaves (those are holly leaves, I hope) I used one strand of white plus one strand of some flourescent green metallic type thread in order to hopefully look like they are kind of snow covered. 

On Paula's rose block I added more silk ribbon overstiching the leaves that seemed bare with the chain stitch I used. I feel better about it now.

Also, previously I thought the pink stamens were too pink so I toned them down with some acrylic and added some yellow beads to the center of the rose. Wendy suggested nail polish, but, alas, I don't wear it so that's how I ended up using acrylic. I thank Wendy for the idea. I was going to completely redo the rose. I feel better about the rose now too.

And, now off to some sane quilting before the guests (family) arrives to celebrate my granddaughter's birthday this evening. My baby will be 7 (going on 13). I spent a few hours at Toys R Us last night after work looking for gifts for her birthday, my other DGD's birthday in 5 weeks, Christmas and the advent calendar. Quite a few of the gifts will turn them into crafters, I hope.

Hexie WIP

Progress on "My Favorite Things Rainbow". Since I took this picture a few weeks ago I have added more hexies to make it a 9x11 (6 inch hexie) lap size quilt. I don't have them all sewn together yet so this layout may not be the final but I am wondering if I should traditional hand quilt it or if I should embroider the hexie seams. I am tending toward the embroidered seams (all DMC because I want this to be used and washable) but then again...I'm not sure. Does anyone have an opinion?