Happy New Year's Eve!

It's New Year's Eve and we never do anything so I'm blogging.  Allen is sleeping.  LOL

Here are some of the things I made for gifts this year.  

Did this for a cute little Bella!  It's on a long sleeved pink shirt.  Pattern by comfortstitching on Etsy.

I found this one online and stitched it up for my ex's mom.  It's right up her alley.

This one is for Liz G, from Katie Kutthroat on Etsy.

For my mom's Dad's girlfriend.  From an Andwabisabi pattern.

For my camping friend Haylan, made from WildOlive's Happy Campers pattern.

These three are Cate Anevski Facebroideries.

For my onigiri loving friend from an Andwabisabi pattern.

For my Mammy loving friend from vintage tea towel patterns.  I found these patterns on a vintage pattern website.  I felt weird doing these but my friend is black so that's okay... right?

For my chefy friend Rebecca.  I copied this, I admit it, from a friend on Flickr.

Another little t-shirt for Bella.  It's a Tamie Snow pattern.  

For my owl loving friend from an Andwabisabi pattern.

For my feminist friend from a Radical Cross Stitch pattern.

For my skull and pink loving friend, on the dreaded black aida cloth.  Another Andwabisabi pattern.

And for my whale loving friend.  I can't remember where I got the pattern.

This is supposed to be the people from Firefly.  I found the pattern on some geeky cross stitch site.  I have never done backstitch or half stitches before.  This is actually pretty horrible lol.  But the person I gave it to at least acted like he liked it.  

So, that's that for 2010.  Bring on 2011!

Too tired to write much...

...so I'll just say this.  I have the flu and Allen has gone with friends camping, so I stayed home.  I've been stitching my fingers to the bone.  I got a pretty sizeable Etsy order.  And it was all custom! How fun!! I'm really happy to have done it.  Here are the froo-eets of my labor!

The first one is from the Epic Alphabet pattern by Sublime Stitching, as is the little dachsund.  I found the deer, the fish, and the jelly beans on an image search and the wood is one of mine.  I am hoping this person loves her order.  

This is what I have been working on almost non-stop while at home since Saturday!  I would love to post more of what I've been doing, but November and December are always a quiet blogging period, as I can't post pics of presents!  Soon, my darlings.  Soon...

Japanese Embroidery

I hope anyone reading this had a good Thanksgiving.  We had a blast.  I didn't take pictures like I thought I would, but there was TONS of food and about 13 of us at dinner.  I made a pretty cheese ball, the first I've ever made, and it was a hit.  Friends showed up and left here and there, and it was nice to spend the holiday with them.  We played a game called Apples to Apples, which is tons of fun and you should totally buy it and play it.  Actually, once you know the rules, you could easily make the game at home.  I don't want to go into it here, but it's basically a word association game.  I love games, and I don't get to play them enough, because we never have people over, because our apartment is TINY and there's not room. 


So anyway, the reason it's so sporadic of late is, again, because I don't have anything I can post yet, at least that I've made, because if someone on my gift list DOES happen to wander over here, they'd have the surprise ruined, and I don't want that. 

I purchased a Japanese embroidery book in pdf format for $5 on Etsy:

And OMIGOSH OMIGOSH OMIGOSH it has the cutest tiny patterns in there!!! I'm using some to embroider baby socks to see if it's hard to do, and if it's not, to see if they'll sell at Moxie.  I think they will.  I looked briefly through the PDF yesterday, because I had a lot of other stuff to do and didn't have time to really peruse it, and oh my Lord and butter, those patterns are some of the cutest ever.  I can't wait to try them out!  I want to embroider the whole book and just hang it up somewhere! 

I love giving embroidery to hang to my friends, and I always see it hanging, but I'm not sure how much more they want, you know?  Like, my sister has three that I know she loves, but does she want more?  My friend Rebecca also has three, but would SHE like some more?  I don't know the answer to that question, and if I ask, they may not want to hurt my feelings.  Well, my sister may, she's brutally honest (which I love and wish I could be), but anyway....  I've been looking at other things I can make with embroidery on them, and this book also has some cute cute ideas for that!  So, my Christmas list has changed up a little, and I may be keeping some of the stuff I've done for myself and redoing gifts from this book. 

Fun and Excitement

I have been working on some awesome Xmas presents.  I can't post them, in case one of the people for whom I'm making them visits the blog, but I'll post them after Christmas.  I've also been working on more bibs for Moxie.  Here is the last one I did- the trees are from ReviDevi:

I have three more drawn out to do, and then I'm going to do 5 more onesies, and then I'm done with Moxie stuff until after Xmas.  Whew. 

More Bibs to Stock!

I Luv Veggies and Lucha Libre Sublime Stitching patterns.  Babies using these will be the coolest babies. 

www.sublimestitching.com

Stitching to Stock

Moxie is going to be on the East Side Studio Tour in a couple of weeks, so I've been working on restocking my shelves!  These are all Sublime Stitching patterns.  

There's a lot more to come.  I just drew up four new bibs, and I have to get some more onesies, but these added with stuff I've already posted should stock me up pretty good!  

So It Begins

'''...needles and pins..."  Not so much pins.  I made these for my friend Jessica's birthday.  She cooks a lot and I think she'll like these potholders. They are both Cate Anevski patterns. 

You can get the apple hat dude pattern for free, and many more, on her blog:
http://cateanevski.typepad.com/cateanevski/

You can buy the second pattern, along with many other cute facebroideries, from her Etsy shop.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/cateanevski

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

I'm gearing up for my handmade Christmas gifts!  I already have a lot of the supplies, and the perfect ideas in mind.  I can't wait to get started!

In the meantime, I have finished another onesie. This is a Sublime Stitching pattern too, maybe it's called Rock N Roll? 

Tada!  Now, I just have to iron the creases out and put that baby up for sale!

More of What I've Been Up

I stitched up this one using the Sublime Stitching Scooter Babes pattern.  It's on a onesie and is available at Moxie in Austin, TX.

Another IT Crowd piece.  This is Roy.  I think he's my favorite.  I'm really enjoying cross stitching.

That's about it for now.

What I've Been Up To

Oyyyy, long time no blog!  I've been busy!  Wanna see?

I made this for Elizabeth to put on her new baby's nursery door.  

Pattern from Big B:  http://bigbgsd.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bigbgsd

A very blurry pic of another hat I made with my Knifty Knitter.  It certainly is nifty...

And I made this for my desk at work.  It's from the book Subversive Cross Stitch by Julie Jackson.

I have also been making a ton of cross stitch patterns, so I've been pretty busy.  I have many more works in progress, so stay tuned!

More Goodies

After the success of the last two hats I made on the knitting loom, I made a third.  I used a Medium 4 yarn especially for babies.  I think it was a little TOO soft, because instead of just folding up for a brim, I'm going to have to tack it down, or it looks funny. 

I do like the colors, though, and I think once I get the brim tacked, it will be super cute.

I also did this cross stitch.  I may have just found myself another craft to get obsessed with!  I bought the Zombie Cross Stitch book, and I was so excited about this, but didn't want to post it in case the person I made it for came to the blog and saw it. I mean, it was HIGHLY unlikely but still.

Someone told me it was the most beautiful thing I've ever done.  HAHA!!  I'll tell you, it was a BITCH to do!  But, I did enjoy it, and it was very well- loved, so it was totally worth it.  I decided to try some more cross stitching, which has always intimidated me.  

Now.  Here is one I am VERY proud of.  It's Moss from The IT Crowd.  If you have not checked this show out, YOU MUST.  It's hilarious.  I have a friend who's really into it, and I found a pixelized version of the three main characters.  I used graph paper to chart out a pattern for each of the three characters, and this is my first one.  I'm quite proud of the fact that I was able to actually create a cross stitch pattern!!!  It took me forever to start creating my own embroidery patterns.

The hat and Moss are for my dear friend Elizabeth, who lives in San Antonio.  She's also getting the blue hat I made for her new baby.  I am also working on a top secret fourth gift, that I will hopefully have done by Friday so I can mail her package. 

Another Hat

Hello!  I made another cute hat!  Wanna see?

It started out as a hat for my friend's baby Bella, who turns 2 this December.  However, it came out way tiny.  And, since that same friend is expecting another girl, this can be for her!  I will make Bella one as well, but I'll use different colors.  It was supposed to be a beret style but that didn't work out.  

The ears were hard at first, but when I picked up how to do them, they're super easy.  Yes, they're a little crooked, but I think it kinda gives the hat character!  I can't wait to do more of these!  I want to make them for everyone!  YAY!!

Oh, and here's another small embroidery! 

I'll be putting it up for sale at Moxie tomorrow.  In fact, I REALLY need to restock there!