Wishing for a Tropical Vacation

With all the heat here this week I am wishing for a warm tropical vacation with lots of water to swim in.  I may live in Washington State but I am on the desert side and boy can it get hot and dry over here.  Since it has been hot it also means that it has been sunny and I was finally able to take pictures of this towel that I finished last month.

I bought this pattern back in February when I got my new tablecloth.  The sheet had two different flamingo patterns two deer patterns and some cute guest towel patterns with towels saying this if for you.  I have not been able to identity them so any help would be great.  Thank you bookwormbethie  it is a Vogart 207 Sixteen novelty designs for guest towels, scarfs, blouses, etc.  I had to squint to see it on the website because I had missed it before.  Now I wish I had the envelope to go with it but the patterns are the important part.

I also finished my napkins all four of them.  They turned out pretty nice I just wish I could photograph orange better than I did.  I decided not to fill in the blue or white flowers because each time I tried it seemed to make the napkin look very heavy. Thank you again all for your suggestions.

I have been in the house quite a bit lately embroidering and I am getting anxious to get outside and be in the sun but it has also been so hot that you melt.  Maybe for some of you the 90's is not to hot but for here and this early in the summer it is quite hot and we do not have much shade at our house go going outside it like walking under a heat lamp.  So tonight I plan to go bike riding with some friends at 7pm in hopes that it will be cool enough.   Wish me luck and hope I do not get heat stroke.  How do you beat the heat this time of year.

~B

No more needle point.... for now.

I finally gave up on my adventures in needlepoint.   I just can not get into it right now.  I am pretty sure it is because it limits what stitches I can do and what colors because it is painted on the canvas.  I decided to take a long  break from it and do some embroidery since it has been awhile since I did a project just for the fun of it and not to give as a gift or make for others to give.

I was having so much fun that I stayed up late and finally made myself go to bed around 1:30 am because I needed to work the next day.  Now all I want is it to be lunch time so I can finish and start on the next napkin.    I am still unsure on the blue and white flowers.  I think I should fill them in but then I like that it is simple.  The bottom heart will be all filled in pink on the outside and red in the center.  I will have to decided once the heart is finished.  Any suggestions?
~Bekah

Edited to add this is a Vogart 261 pattern from my collection.

Featured Member stitchnmomma

This week's Featured Member is stitchnmomma

Q.  Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop.

A.  I’m a proud mom of a future U.S. Army soldier and 3 furbabies. I work full-time by day in the Operations Dept. of a franchise office for a national pizza chain and almost full-time by night and weekends as a stitchaholic. My Etsy shop started as a way to sell my original design patterns and other cross stitched goodies in the hopes of building a nestegg to one day move to Italy. I try to keep a variety of patterns as well as finished items (magnets, buttons, wall art, etc.). I have a personal business philosophy that I won’t sell a pattern until I’ve stitched it myself to make sure it looks just right. It takes longer for new patterns to be available, but at the end of the day, I’m happy with my decision.

A.  What or Who inspires you?

Q.  I’m inspired by many things, people and places. Sometimes it’s a quote I’ll see, others it may be a piece of artwork or something from nature and sometimes it’s just a color combination. As an example I recently went to the M.C. Esher exhibit at my local art museum and came home and immediately started sketching some ideas I have. Unfortunately the ideas always outweigh the time available to design and stitch them.. I also love bright, bold colors and try to incorporate those into my works as often as I can.

Q.  When you're not doing things for your shop can we find you around the internet?

A.  I have a poorly neglected blog and I’m on Facebook and twitter  which is also neglected since my son set my Facebook account to auto-tweet for me.

Q.  What tool could you not live without?

A.  I would have to say my colored pencils. It may sound a little crazy, but I use them to sketch out new designs with the colors I’m thinking of, and “color in” my patterns as I’m doing them. I typically have 5+ projects going at one time and it makes it so easy to put one down for weeks (or sometimes months) and know right where to start stitching when I pick it back up.

Q.  How did you learn to stitch?

A.  My mom taught me how to needlepoint when I was 6-years-old. My first piece was a boldly colored geometric pattern that my dad and I designed on canvas with markers. I did that for about 10 years and then around age 16 I saw a cross stitch kit of an oriental fan that I fell in love with and taught myself how to do it. I’ve belonged to a few needlework guilds over the years and have taken classes in many other techniques (hardanger, couching, peyote beading, etc.) but always come back to cross stitch. It’s truly my passion and a day without stitching just doesn’t feel right.



~Bekah

Adventures in Needlepoint

After my last post you saw how many needlework things I have now.  The items that enticed me the most were the needlepoint canvas.  Some are stamped, some are hand-painted, and some are half-way finished but .... none and I repeat none of them have instructions!  I have no idea how to needlepoint it has eluded me for years.

So of course getting into my head that I must needlepoint before I can knit another sock or embroidery another item.  I went on a quest....a quest to find a needlepoint kit! (ta tah dah can you hear the trumpets blaring?  Oh wait that is just Brian practicing in the next room)  Little did I know that this would be the hardest quest of my life!

We went into town on a Sunday and I went to Michaels they have needlepoint supplies and had kits before.. I searched all over I found the floss but did not find one kit not even a cross-stitch kit.  I asked for help and they brought me over to the  latch hook rug kits.  I looked at the person and said where are the needlepoint kits and he said these are the needlepoint kits.  I looked at him again and said these are latch hook rug kits totally different and walked away disappointed and to continue my quest.

I then went to Craft Warehouse surely just by the name they should have kits but alas they did not.  I asked there and they at least knew what I was talking about but they do not carry the kits because they do not sell.  I am starting to think they do not sell because you do not CARRY THEM!  Ok ok I was getting a bit testy by then.

I talked Brian in to going to one more store JoAnn's Fabrics they surely carry kits.  They do not carry needlepoint kits only Cross-Stitch and of the Cross-Stitch they only had three!   What is happening here?  I thought embroidery and cross-stitch were still popular.  I guess I am totally wrong and not trendy anymore.

Then I thought hey Hobby Lobby has to have them how could I have forgotten about them.  So we drove over there and they are not open on Sunday!  What a store not open on a Sunday!  Nice for the workers but sad for me who only goes into town once a week on Sunday for Church.

I would have to wait until Wednesday to continue my quest.  I hitched a ride with Brian to his Big Band Rehearsal and stole the car.  I headed straight to Hobby Lobby and went down the aisle where they have the kits.  As I was looking I was only seeing cross-stitch kits and getting really disappointed.  As I moved down the aisle it switched to stamped linens for embroidery and cross-stitch that was kind of nice I thought but still no needlepoint kit in site.  Then by a freak chance at the end of the aisle on way bottom was one needlepoint kit.  Did you hear me one kit not one kind just one single solitary kit!  I just about jumped for joy and nearly ran to the checkout.  The lady asked me if I found everything alright and I said yes!  You are the only ones to have a needlepoint kit in town.  She smiled at me a little weird thinking that maybe I was to excited for this item but she sold it to me anyway.

Here is the kit!  I will give you updates as to my progress.  So far it is mounted on stretch bars and I plan to start tonight!  Are you finding it harder to find supplies?

~B

What does it takes to make me happy.

On my way home today I saw some kids playing in the dirt and they looked so happy.  I remember those days when all it took was dirt pile, my barbie doll, my brother's metal tonka trucks and a hose with water.  Oh good times.

That got me thinking, what does it take to make me happy now?  Lucky for you all I have the answer.  Besides the usual. My hubby, cat and family.  I think I have narrowed it down to 3 or 4 things.

1)  The angry birds hat I made my brother, and my brother because he is as fun to be with as he was when we were kids.

2)  Making handmade socks for family members.  This is the latest pair for my Mom.

3)  Yarn my Mom saw and had to buy me from her friend who raises alpacas.

 

4)  Last but certainly not least.....embroidery, cross stitch, needlepoint and knitting supplies from my Grandmother-in-Law.  Man I do not even know where to begin.  At first I was on cloud nine then on day three of organizing I thought I was in hell and now I am back to cloud nine.  I now officially have all the DMC Floss colors except 28 of the colors.  Yes, I do plan to get the last 28 might as well it will be under $10.  This picture does not even represent my own supplies. 

I do have a question for all of you how do you organize your floss?  By color or number?  I have 6 boxes of my own and now I have added 6 more boxes from Granny.  I organized by color and she organized by number.  I am confused!  The floss in the baggies are perle cotton, rayon, rayon mix, hand painted, metallic, ribbon and wool.

The box in the back is full of needlepoint hand painted canvas and some half finished work and some I have no idea what to do with.  I will be researching needlepoint.

I did not take any pictures of the knitting supplies because they are not to organized yet.  She also gave me her Bernina sewing machine.  I see I will need to start reading up on lots of things and do not even know where to start.  Needlework?  Knitting?  Sewing?  Going Crazy?  I am thinking the latter. What do you all think?

~Bekah

Scavenged Yarn

 

I was teaching my friend to knit over a year ago and she decided she wanted to make this scarf.  She bought the yarn and needles and gave up on it. for some reason.  I really can not remember why.  Since then I have been badgering her to give me the yarn so I could make the scarf for her.  On New Years Eve this year when we went to see them in Seattle she finally gave in.  I have so excited I finished this about a month ago and just now got around to downloading the pictures.  It was fun and she only gets to keep it because it is blue and I really detest blue.  (long story why but it has to do with private school and blue uniforms. blah! and of course all the blue socks I knit last year)  It was an interesting project and making all the points stick out was fun. 

Have a wonderful weekend.

~Bekah

Spring Flower and a Christmas Apron.

Several weeks ago I got in another button making mode and stitched up some cute spring flowers. They are smaller than my normal buttons they are just barely 1".  It was fun to see how many flowers would fit.  I used pima perle cotton for all of the colors.  I love making buttons because they are so instant gratification and fun to look at.


I had mentioned a week or so ago when I was out at the antique store that I found an apron pattern and I planned to make an apron.  I did finish it and I made it reversible.  I do know it is a Christmas one.  In my defense I bought this fabric over 2 years ago and I had to use it up before another Christmas came and went and went unused.

Hmmm not sure that helps my cause it makes me look like a procrastinator.  Here it is anyway, as you can probably tell the waist band is wonky around the pleats and my arms barely reach the pockets.  If I ever get around to making another one I will make the pockets further up and hopefully do better on the waist band.
  

Other Side

So what kinds of things do you put off until the last minute?

~B

Introducing Carmen Banana!

Well I would like to introduce to you our new addition to the family.  Her name is Carmen Banana.  She is Mr. B.A. Foster's new girlfriend.  Please pardon her indecent picture she does not have any clothes yet.

I bought her kit over a year ago and I am just now getting around to making her.  She turned out better than Mr. Foster did, I think that is because I knit a lot better than I did when I made him.  Oh well the girl is suppose to look better than her man anyway right?

Since it would not be a post without some embroidery.  Here are more DOW patterns from my new patterns.  This is the set that made me buy the Aunt Ellen's patterns otherwise I would have left them there. *I have found out these are Vintage Aunt Martha patterns.*

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I am spending it at a basketball game, meeting some old friends for lunch and a birthday party for my nephew.  I think I might need a weekend from my weekend.

~B

Antique Stores and New Patterns!

Last weekend Brian and I decided to go to some some pawn shops and antique stores for fun and to also look for an amp for his guitar.  We went to a few good pawn stores and did not find any good amps for a decent price, but at the antique stores I found a few good things.

This awesome although to small tablecloth, I still love it anyway.  Vogart embroidery patterns for a buck a piece I did not have these yet and also Aunt Ellen's embroidery patterns.  From what I have been able to research they are affiliated with WorkBasket.  I also found an apron pattern from the 60's as a replacement for one that got destroyed in our basement flood a couple of years ago.  I will be posting an apron this week that I made with this pattern

I kick myself for not buying this hat!  It has peacock feathers on the top and a wing on the side.  I fell in love with it but decided to pass now I kick myself and need to go back.  Maybe next time we are in town.

In the Aunt Ellen's patterns are these cute Patchwork Cat DOW patterns I thought you all would get a kick out of.  I can just picture them black with hot pink flowers.  Now sure why I want to embroider them this way but I do.  I am missing Tuesday if anyone has it please share.   Tuesday's pattern can be found here and here. Enjoy!

~B

New Hair and Some Embroidery

I have been playing around with the idea of dying my hair a wonderful red for some time and last night it was now or never.  It is a L'oreal Dark Auburn and I am in love with it.

I was hesitant only because the last time I dyed my hair red I was 17 or 18 and my friend Gary and I shared a bottle and we both of kind had that red clown look.  You know the one where people shy away from you thinking you are a crazy escape clown from the freak circus.  This time luckily was different and it is a lot darker than I thought it would be but still good.  Here is my original color.

Brian actually likes it and he helped me dye the back of my hair, which was surprising because whenever I keep my original brown he can not wait for me to go back to blonde they way he married me.  As the years have progress my hair keeps getting darker and the blonde is to harder to keep up on and very damaging to my already fine limp hair.  What do you all think?

Here is some embroidery that I said I would share with you.  It is a Vogart 678 Happy Fruits.  I used the Aunt Martha towels I found at Hobby Lobby.  (Yes we finally got a Hobby Lobby here in December!)  These are wonderful towels to embroidery on and have a fun vintage look with stripes down the side.   I highly recommend them.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
~B

The Sun was Shining Today!

The sun finally came out to stay for a few hours today and that enabled me to take some pictures of my current completed embroidery projects . As you can see it is still pretty dark but at least you can see the stitching.

A Flickr Group New Embroidery with Vintage Patterns has been doing some stitch-a-longs for Days of the Week patterns.  They started with Wednesday so I am a bit behind. I do hope to catch up because it has been kind of fun to use some of my vintage patterns.


If you want to stitch this transfer up here it is. It is Vogart 709 Pattern.

~B

Is it the Weekend Yet?

Here I am at working waiting for the last hour of the day to end.  I know I should be working but if I have to do one more date change I will bleed from my eyeballs.  So I thought I would show you I finished another pair of socks and this time they are actually for me.  I did not get a chance to take pictures of them before I wore them, then inadvertently threw them in the dryer and tah-dah nice tight form fitting felted socks.  Sure I meant to do that?!

I have been embroidering up a storm the last two weeks and I hope to show you pictures soon if the weather lets in some sunshine so you can see them better.  I have vowed this year to get my embroidery pattern organized and to stitch more of them.  I am doing pretty well so far hopefully I can keep it up.  What have you all been up to this year?

~B