Christmas Got Away From Me

Yes, Christmas got away from me.  That's exactly what happened.  I won't bemoan the fact any more. The truth is just out there, and there isn't any way to reel it in and start over.

My handmade gifts didn't get finished on time, so store bought ones were given.  Now I can just go at my own pace, and someone might get a happy surprise sometime in the new year.

Here is one such finished gift, a doll quilt made from leftover fabric from the baby of the grand babies' baby quilt, (Is that apostrophe in the right place?) and a piece of embroidery I did a long time ago.

The embroidery pattern is one my mom gave me years ago in a set of Campbell's Soup Kids patterns. However, I like to think of this little soup kid as goldilocks in this quilt.

Stay-tuned, I hope to be showing a couple of more soon, at least by next Christmas.

  

Needlework with Children

Spidey and Belle spent the night last week, and Spidey wanted to work on a piece of embroidery that he had started on a previous visit.  He's making a surprise for his mom.

Belle saw what he was doing and asked, "Mimi, would you teach me to sew?"  I  quickly drew off a heart on a  little scrap piece of fabric just to give her a feel for it.  

She quickly went to work.

I had no idea how quickly she would catch on.  I showed her a running stitch once, and she was off and running with it.

Here's Spidey showing his work.  I think he's pretending to be camera shy.  

Belle never hesitated until she had the whole heart finished.  I think  it's backwards in this picture.  You can see the knots.  I think this is pretty good work for a 5 year old!

I also think I'd better find her a bigger project next time.  

Baby Stuff I Never Posted

Time flies when your having fun, right?  Actually, at this age time flies whether you are having fun or not, but just for the record, I am having fun.  Life is so full of ups and downs but I'm learning more and more that time is precious and we must hold tightly to every good moment, and let go of those that simply aren't so great.  

I almost lost my thought philosophizing. .. Oh, so my point is that time slipped away from me again and I'm late sharing these photos with you.

I made this paper flower tree for my daughter-in-law's shower.  I had planned to do a tutorial  on making these flowers, but I never got around to it.  

This is a crib sheet that I started embroidering for my first grandchild, who is eight now, and finished for my last one  who is three months.

It was a stamped cross-stitch piece. 

Please excuse the wrinkles, I'm told they add character to a face, but not so much to  embroidery, huh?

I hope she dreams sweetly covered in this. 

Stitching Little Red

As a girl who loves the color red, I can't help but be partial to a fairy tale that sports the color in the title. I guess I'll go ahead and confess that I always wanted a red hooded cape, and of course, a basket full of goodies wouldn't get turned down around here either. I'd even share them with Grandma...... oh wait, I am Grandma! Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you is I liked the story of Little Red, it has just enough scary in it to be fun, and it's so outlandish even a child couldn't really be scared for long. I mean who would really believe that an old hairy wolf was Grandma? Grandpa maybe, but surely not Grandma!

I've been working on a piece of embroidery from the story. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it when I finish it. I might put it on an apron, or maybe make a pocket for a book bag, or use it for the focal piece of a quilt. Either way, I'd love to pair it with some of Aneela Hoey's A Walk in the Woods fabric.

I'm afraid my Little Red looks a little older than the character from the story, but I still kind of like it. Do you think this may be some sort of Freudian slip that has to do with me still wanting that cape?

Pictures in String

Okay, it's January 10th and I still have unfinished Christmas presents. Sad, I know, but some things don't get done on time at my house, (a lot of things, actually.)

Anyway, the grandkids all like to help wash dishes. You know how it is water, a chair, soapy bubbles, what's not to love, if you are a kid that is? So I decided I'd take some of their precious gifts of art and embroider them each their own little dishtowel, at least the oldest ones who can draw. It shows them how special I think their art is, and how special it is to me that they want to help. So I started the project in plenty of time, but lacked one picture. I finally rounded up the little artist and persuaded her to part with a sheet from her portfolio, but I still haven't finished that particular towel. However, I thought I'd share what I've got so far. Aren't they darling, just like them, each one so individual and full of personality.

Don't you all want a set of these lovelies? I may just have to go back and do some for myself!

I'm linking up with Ruby Jean for Sew Crafty Tuesday

Red-Work in Place

I finally put the red-work his and hers pillowcases on my bed along with the set of redwork sheets that my mother did a few years back. My stitchery really reveals my lack of talent compared to hers, but I plan to keep at it, and maybe one day mine will be comparable.

If you click on the bottom picture it will enlarge and you will see the curtains Mom red-worked too.

You can't really see them that well but you get a feel for their element here. Red's been my favorite color for a long time, ever since I out grew that Donny Osmond purple phase in my teens. I've always loved redwork too. So in between sewing, painting, reading, kayaking, collage, and all of those other hobbies I don't have time to do justice to, I hope to do more embroidery, especially in shades of red.

Finishing an Old Project

I finished a simple project I started several years ago, at least 10, but it could be as many as 20 I'm not sure just when I laid them down. I found them recently when I cleaned out a back cabinet in my laundry room. I am so excited to have these little embroidered his and hers redwork pillowcases complete. The his pillowcase has been just lacking a few little stitches, and the hers has been untouched all of these many years.

When my mother had to have surgery and I knew I would be spending lots of time at the hospital, I decided to grab a hand project to take with me. I saw the pillowcase laying on top of a pile of unfinished projects so I grabbed it and a couple of skeins of red thread and stuffed them in my bag. I finished the pillowcase and came home to compare them. I

knew that there was a good possibility that the threads wouldn't match, and they probably don't exactly, but they are close enough for me as far as color goes. I laid them side by side and realized that I had done the his case with three strands and the hers with two. Oh, well, we are going to sleep on them I guess it's no big deal.

I'm planning to keep a simple embroidery project near for times when I just need a little something to keep my hands busy. It is such a soothing craft, and I enjoy having handmade things. My mother does beautiful embroidery. Maybe one day I'll do work as nicely as she does.

Gifts Abounding

I am so blessed with friends! Some I see quite often and others only occasionally. I have had friends that I've lost touch with over the years, that happens when we move, get busy with life, pursue different interest. Now with all of the technology available finding an old friend isn't as hard as it used to be.

I have been blessed to get reacquainted with a friend from my past over the internet and telephone in the last year. We still haven't seen each other, but that is coming soon.

This friend is very adventuresome and is able to travel and has done so extensively. Our lives have taken very different paths, but we still have much in common.

Well, this precious friend just returned from a trip to Guatemala and Costa Rica. She sent me the most wonderful packet of treasures! Look at these beautiful things! The zippered pouch is covered with lovely embroidery. The bracelet is handmade and the bookmark and worry dolls are precious! The gorgeous aprons are full of beautiful weavings, embroidery, fancy trims, and the sweetest little zippered pockets! And just look at the swatches of lovely woven fabrics! I think I might try and make a purse from those.

From what I understand women from different villages are identified by the aprons they wear. They are so pretty! I know my grand-daughters are going to really go ga-ga over the child's apron! I'm going to have to throw a party just so I can have occasion to wear/show off the red woman's apron. Won't it be perfect at Christmas time?



We also have a friend close by who has a tree loaded with pears, more than they can use, so they graciously offered some to us. Last year I put up tons of pear preserves. They are so good! This year since I still have plenty of the preserves I decided to make pear butter. I've worked on it for two days and just have a few jars to show for it. I love the stuff and so does a lot of my family, but it is a very long cooking process to get it right. Some of it I ended up not cooking long enough and it doesn't have the rich deep brown color with the equally rich taste that it should have. So far I only have 4 1/2 pints that turned out the way I like it. I think I'll just cook it down more as I open the other jars. That should work, I hope. It's not bad like it is, but it's not as rich in flavor as that that has slow cooked for 24 hours or more.

Anyway, I'm feeling wonderfully privileged to be so honored with gifts and most of all with friends.

This last picture is another lacy, little gift left on our porch by a visiter that I'm not sure I would call a friend.

Baby Shower

I made two sets of these, one for a little boy, shown here and the other for a little girl.  Sorry, I didn't get a picture of it.  I made and delivered it while my camera was away from home.

I was invited to two baby showers last weekend.  I had to miss one because of a previously planned party, but the one I attended was a lot of fun.  It was for a high school friend of my daughter's.  They both are expecting little boys very soon.

There were 11 children five and under at this shower, how sweet!  

The refreshments were wonderful.  You can see Angel Eyes enjoying the pecan tassies.  My! were they tasty!  

And Sweet Cheeks practicing  parenting here:

Then a little sisterly love between Scooter and Sweet Cheeks, so glad I captured that even if it is a little fuzzy.