That Stitchin' Life

I have been working on a lot of projects.  My sister and future brother-in-law's wedding shower is coming up and I've been working on decorations for that.  I can't really do pics now, because she may see, and also, it's a constant work in progress.  I'll be sure to post plenty of pics at the shower, though!

I have done a few more cocktail napkins from Sublime Stitching!  I have really enjoyed doing these. 

Getting Back Into It

I am glad to get back into stitching after having settled into our move and taking time out for myself!
Here is a cute skull stitch from Makoto Oozu's book, that is Not Lame and Very Cool.  

When Life Gets In The Way of Crafting

Busy busy, as usual around here!  I need to write a letter, get my newer items photographed, apply for a booth at an Eco Art fest, frame the last of my Lady Gaga stuff for the benefit for Equality Texas that's the week after next, print and mail invitations to my sister's wedding shower, get a frame for a custom piece I've done, and pack to get ready to go see my parents, and I think that's it.  Whew.  

Here's the last onesie I did last week.  I think it's so cute.  It's another pattern from my Japanese embroidery book.  Look at these classy bespectacled ladies!

New Work

Okay, as promised, here is some stuff I have been working on.  The top onsie is from my Japanese embroidery book.  The second two are patterns from ReviDevi.  And the name tag for my desk at work is from the Sublime Stitching Epic Alphabet!  The onesies need ironing, I know.   

Jordnots

Ever hear of Jordnots? Me either, until I bought some patterns for them from Wild Olive. They're little peanut-shaped characters from Sweden. I don't think I did them justice...

Acorn Head

Being sick can make you very productive if you are a stitcher.  I think the smoke from the wildfires is getting to me.

This is a Cate Anevski/Bee's Knees Industries pattern.  Check her patterns out!!  https://www.beeskneesindustries.com/

Tomorrow- Jordnots by Molly Johansson of Wild Olive.  I'll explain.

Stitcher on Fire

I have been super busy making more things!  Here are some things I've been working on!

Here are a couple of  bibs- The first is from a Sublime Stitching bib kit and the other is from my Japanese embroidery book I got a while back. 

Not lame! Very Cool!

I got the coolest book!

As you can see, it is "Very cool" and "Not lame".  True, true.

 

Born this Way

Here is the latest installment of my Lady Gaga collection- these will be available for auction at Gagarazzi later on this year at The Highball in Austin.  The mermaids were a request from a friend.  I wanted to put a unicorn but couldn't manage it, so the mermaids were thus... born.  They are Andwabisabi mermaids.

Here is the fourth and I think final piece.  I just found a crown pattern online and then used an alphabet pattern I have for the words.  

What I've been up to besides packing and unpacking

Okay!  We're all moved in and unpacked, and now crafty stuff is once again on my mind!  Here are some things I've finished recently!

This is my very late stitchalong from Feeling Stitchy and Bee's Knees Industries.  I was too late to submit it, which sucks, because everyone who did so got a free pattern from her.  What??  Ah well.  Amps the Wondercat likes it.  You were supposed to come up with something to put on the banner and I thought about "Mouth Party" but then decided that they looked more like they were parading, so "Mouth Parade" it was.  I don't know what it means. 

This will go in my new kitchen somewhere.  I have very little wall space to hang things that isn't already taken up, but I'm sure I can find a space.  It goes along with that "Weak Coffee, Weak Mind" one I did.  

And here is the first of the few Lady Gaga cross stitches I've done.  I'm doing a few, plus other crafty stuff I'll post, for a Gaga themed benefit a friend of mine is throwing.  I came up with the pattern.  I'll post more details later.

I'm Not Modest.

My boss and I have been talking about making funny cross stitches, and she said I should make one about how I'm so awesome.  So I did.  

Inspired by a cross stitch I saw on http://www.feelingstitchy.com/

Some other things I've been working on

Just popping in to post a couple of new things I've finished. This is the Talking Flower from Bee's Knees Industries.

http://cateanevski.typepad.com/cateanevski/

This is for my longtime friend Angela for her new baby.  The pattern is from Subversive Cross Stitch.  www.subversivecrossstitch.com

Andwabisabi Etsy Shop

Grace Kim has come up with the cutest cross stitch designs! I've purchased several to make gifts.  I have posted most of these but here they are again.

New Cross Stitch

I found a couple of cross stitch patterns online but I cant find where to purchase them.  This one originally said "Weak tea, weak mind", but I like coffee more, so I put it by my coffee maker in the kitchen.

Keep Calm and Marry On!

While I am sitting here, drying off from my shower, my gas soaked clothes in the wash (mishap at the Tigermart), rather than pout, I should blog!

I don't know why, but I like weddings.  I'm not the marrying type, and if I ever did get married, I would not  have a huge production.  Just close friends and family and mostly a DIY kind of thing.  My sister is getting married in January and I cannot wait!

Speaking of weddings, I'm sure everyone knows about the Royal Wedding.  It's Friday, if I'm not mistaken.  I won't be watching, because I'm sure it's terribly boring to watch on TV, and I do have to work, but something about it makes me happy.  The media frenzy is so happy and abuzz, and it's a nice change from the usual coverage of bloodbaths in other countries.  I think it's cool how the people of England are so excited and are coming together to watch from afar.  I don't think anything could bring our country together like that in such a positive way for such a joyful event.  Maybe we need a Royal Family!  (uhhhh scratch that.)

So, while I will not be watching, or buying memorabilia (although I did see a DELICIOUS looking cake all decorated with William and Kate's portrait at HEB that I'd like to bite), I'll be thinking about the Royal Wedding all day on Friday.  I hope they have a happy life together.   And if you are watching the wedding, zap the couple with mind powers of happiness and love.  Or something.

Napkins!

As promised, here are the napkins I made.  I've only made two so far.  My fingers are tired!

I think it may be harder than I thought to sell Allen on these.  He said "They look like those fancy restaurant napkins that don't absorb anything!"  I kinda took that as a compliment...

Baby stuff and more

Here's what I've been busy at work on:

A dear friend of mine is having a baby soon, and she wanted some small pillow letters spelling the baby's name out.  They went easier than I thought and look better than I expected!  I think she'll love them.

I am thinking of throwing some more stuff in, like a couple of embroidered bibs and maybe a onesie for her to grow into.  I'd feel bad just giving her the letters.

I've also been working on some napkins.  Since I do them by hand, they're taking a little longer than if I had a sewing machine, but I'll show you the finished products soon!

Lookit me!

Already putting one of my resolutions to use- the cloth napkin.




Yes, yes, that IS a plastic bag you se there. To my defense, some asshole stole my lunch AND bag the other day, and I've used this same bag the past three days. I still need to replace my lunch bag :(

Best Weekend Ever

Happy Tuesday! Did everyone have a good weekend?

I had a great weekend with my family back in Coldspring. We arrived late Friday and spent the day Saturday getting ready for the party!  It was a late birthday party for my Mom, whose birthday is on April 1st.

There was a bigger turn-out than expected and we actually ran out of food for the late-comers! But everyone had a great time.

I played bartender for a little while.















My sister and her FIANCE!!!

The band- they are calling themselves Bittersweet right now. My dad is there on the left in the white cowboy hat.

Sunday was sort of lazy. I took some pics of my dad's and grandad's cute little gardens, but my camera ran out of power!! Oh no!

Then it was lunch at my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant and a short jaunt to a little antique store!

My Dad and I LOVE this place!  It's our thing, we love to eat at this little hole-in-the-wall!

I plan to return in May, since a friend of mine is having a baby shower in Houston. I plan to hit up a few antique shops again! I need some cuter dishes.

Have a lovely day!

Jonesy gets her Groove Back

Lately, I have felt a little uninspired and uncreative. I had a craft night for a benefit I'm helping with later this year, and I did make some cute bows (can't show them now, they're supposed to be a surprise), but other than that, I haven't really been doing anything crafty. When I pick up something for embroidery, I find I'll do it for like 5 minutes and then get bored with it. NOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Last night, I was really down about this. So, I decided to do something about it! I picked up a short embroidery project and set my mind to finishing it. I thought, if I just worked past the point where I said, "Meh, next," then I could get back into it. And it worked!

Dining al Fresco

I love eating outside on beautiful days. Too often, it's too hot in Texas for me to sit outside and eat. Right now, I'm enjoying the relatively mild weather while I still can!



The break room at work is mildly depressing. People are always either complaining about work or fighting with someone on the phone, or gossiping. I don't need that negative energy, and I find that a nice lunch outside recharges me anyway!


Here's a clearing behind our building that looks like it may be my new lunch spot.




Enjoy the rest of your day!

Testing

Just testing the phone app. And now, something awesome.  Isn't he the sweetest boy? This is my baby Amps.

Fun with Iron On Pens!

My colored iron-on transfer pens from Sublime Stitching (www.sublimestitching.com) came in!  I decided to try out a little idea I had and use them to transfer a design onto a t-shirt.  Not sure if they will last more then a couple of washes, but it's worth a try.

Aww!  Some of the transfers came out AMAZINGLY and the others, not so much, but I think it gives it a nice touch to have some of them fainter than others!

More fun with felt!

Giving Birth- It's The "In" Thing

It seems like on every craft blog I read, someone is having a baby or trying to have a baby.  I am not a baby person.  I do not want to have a baby, and I would like people to keep their babies away from me so that they don't puke, poop or pee on me, and because if they do, I may drop them.  I'm not trying to be heartless, it's a safety thing!

And in my personal life, between friends, friends' relatives and people at work, people I know are just poppin kids out left and right.  So, with the help of ReviDevi, Aimee Ray's Doodle Stitching- The Motif Collection, Sublime Stitching's Baby Bib Kit and Aronzo Aranzi's Baby Stuff, I've made loads of super cute baby stuff people can ooh and ahh over almost as much as the baby.

Bibs:

ReviDevi

Happy Valentine's Day... A little late.

Here is what I made Allen for Valentine's Day.  It was honestly a rush job.  I had planned to work on it over the weekend but things came up.   So I framed it in a crazy hurry.  Ugh.  But I think the cross stitch itself is mighty cute!  I think I got the camera from Andwabisabi and I added my own letters. 

Doodlin'

I've been doing a lot of doodling and not enough stitching!

I am thinking about doing a series of these and selling them on Etsy. 

Rad.

Art Exchange

 I want to start stitching more things on cards.  I've been thinking about maybe getting some blank cards at the craft store and creating my own greeting cards and selling them.  I dunno... but I made this one for my friend Rob.  We were supposed to do an "art exchange" and we have managed ONE piece of art each so far.  I can't keep up with stuff... 

I love drawing and stitching random kinds of trees.  I also love stitching those random trees!  So I made this for our art exchange.