Final Blog Update for 2009!

Wow! Can you believe the year is already over? Seems like time has just flown by! I'm looking forward to 2010 and hope to make it the best year yet! Since it's the end of the year I thought I would put my last two stitchy finishes on here and begin the new year with new things. This little ghost is my section of a RR for one of the yahoo groups I belong to. The entire piece is just adorable and I hope my contribution makes it just as good.

My final finish for the year is this little bookmark. I don't really like the way it turned out, just seems so...plain. But I guess it'll do for now, it'll hold a place in a book and that's what counts I guess. It's just not one of my better accomplishments and I feel funny putting it here when I don't really like it..LOL!

I've been making plans for 2010 and going through things I need to finish. On last count I had almost 40 wips/ufo's! Not all are cross stitch, some are quilting and sewing, but that's still alot of unfinished things! I'm going to try to finish a few of those things in the coming year. As I was looking through things I pulled out this heart. It was a freebie for the Wiehenburg yahoo group last Valentines day. I had planned to make this into a toss pillow and even purchased all the fabric and stuffing and buttons I wanted to put on it....but never finished it. I'm making this my first goal for the new year....to have it done by Valentine's day and made into a pillow for the holiday. I *think* I can do it....if I don't get distracted by all the other goodies just waiting to be picked up. LOL

I promised myself I would finish at least one ufo before starting something else and I have one fairly big project that I want to do as a birthday gift for my mom in July so I guess that means I better hurry up and get this one done! I've got one bookmark to do, one RR piece that should arrive sometime in January and this heart to start the new year off with...not too shabby. Add in the monthly "cube" finishes I want to do this year and I think I'll have a full month for January projects.

Hope everyone has a wonderful new year! Hugs to all!

Super Secret Project Has been Delivered!!

A few of you may have heard some talk of a Super Secret cross stitch project that some of us have been working on. Way back in June of 2009 I was talking to a good friend on the phone (Carrie) and we both decided that it would be fun to surprise another good friend of ours..Miss Donna. Donna has done so much to get cancer awareness out there to everyone and we felt she should be rewarded for all she's done. So we came up with this idea to make a quilt for her. After getting a few of our stitching friends on board with us this is what we came up with......

This little fairy/angel was my contribution to the quilt.....

Then after realizing we would need some 'spacer' type blocks between the "angels" we came up with this....cancer ribbons and hearts. So hubby and I drew them out on paper and made up some homemade templates....

In the meantime everyone was diligently stitching away on their squares. The center block was designed and stitched by Janet and it fit perfectly for the quilt. Great idea Janet! These are the squares all together in no particular order....

Now, fast forward to December 21, 2009 and this is what it turned into! We also have a matching pillow but I forgot to get it on here...oops!

This was a fun project to do and I think we may just have to do another one in the future! Miss Donna has now recieved the quilt and I hope she knows just how special we all think she is. Donna you've been an inspiration to all of us and we are all so blessed to call you friend.

Hugs to all!

Finished My Tote Bag!! Yay!

I've had this fabric for over a year and it's been sitting here just waiting to be made into something. I've never worked with the pre-quilted stuff before so that was a challenge. My sewing machine didn't like the thickness....especially when I made the handle for it! Poor little machine! You can't tell from the pic but the bottom green part is actually pockets. The pockets didn't come out nearly as big as I thought they would but for a first try I guess I didn't do too bad. This will be my project bag for my wips/ufo's so I can keep everything all together. The bag measures 20" x16" x 4" deep..not a bad size for all my stitching goodies!

Hope everyone is having a great holiday week so far! Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

1 Kid, 1 World Record, 1 Attempt to Break it!

My 10 year old son checked out this book at the school library recently and has been reading it like a mad man. It's called "Ripley's Believe it or Not" and it's full of interesting little things. This morning he found this picture in it...... someone put 93 threads through the eye of a sewing needle. Pretty amazing stuff.......

My son believes he can beat this record and here he is at 60 threads........

Here's a close up of the needle with threads.......

What do you all think??? I bet he can do it, might take him a few days to get them all in there...but he's determined to beat the record! Wish him luck!

Hope everyone is having a great day!

The Grinch has finally left my house....

Christmas has been one of those things that we had decided to bypass this year since money is so tight But.....today we were gifted with a tree! Seems like that's all it took to bring the holiday spirit to our household. So, we put up the tree and got the boxes of decorations out of the garage. The kids decided that we were going to decorate the whole living room and not just the tree. In the process of all this holiday cheer, I thought to myself..."self, you should put some pics of the things you've done on your blog." So without further blabbering, the following few pics are some ceramic houses that I have painted in the past......

The final little house at the end of this pic is the very first one I ever did...maybe 20 years ago and it never was stored away properly so it's yellowed with age and grime over the years but I had to put it up anyway just for nostalgia....at least that's what my daughter says...LOL!

This next pic is a doll that I made about 10 years ago. My mom and I had entered a Holiday Bazar that year and I made a few of these to sell. This was my last one so I kept it for myself. I can't believe it's held up all this time!

This next pic is a gingerbread boy & girl that I had made at the same time I made the dolls. I have no idea why I made them at the time, guess I thought they were cute. I never even display these anywhere, but my youngest son decided he was putting them in this corner and that's where they were staying..his contribution to the decorating....LOL!

This next pic is of my gingerbread village. I got this about 4 years ago when I found them at walmart. I didn't have the money at the time to purchase them and my daughter knew that I really liked them so she got me all the larger pieces for Christmas that year. After the holiday I went to the sales and got the little pieces for 90% off! I don't think it's a complete set, but I love it anyway.

And next we have my 3 wonderful kids. They so did not want a picture taken, but I made them do it anyway....LOL, all of them refused to smile except my daughter and she was being dorky....so this is my revenge. I told them if they didn't give me a good pic I would post it on my blog for all to see.....so here it is: LOL...take that kids, see mom can get revenge! heheh

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season and staying warm and healthy! Hugs to all!

A few exchanges and a BIG RAK!

We recently did an exchange in my group KraftersKorner for a Christmas ornament...my partner, Mary A, sent me this cute little snowman ornie. It's done on plastic and backed with felt...this has got to be one of the cutest ideas I've ever seen! His skinny little arms and legs are made from white cording...I just love it! Thank you so much Mary!
Next is another exchange I received from Katie from another one of my groups, the stitcherhood. We did a card and floss exchange and she sent me this cute little card and even made it into a ornament so I can hang it on my tree. The picture just doesn't do it justice! Katie's stitching is perfect! I just wish mine would look as good as hers! I love this little mouse and he will have a branch just for him on my tree. Thank you Katie!

Next is a huge surprise from my friends Carrie and Rog. Some of you may have heard that my family has been going through a rough patch financially and Carrie graciously offered to help with my sons birthday this month because I am unable to do anything for him this year. Well, Carrie and Rog sent him a big box filled with a sweatshirt and tee shirts all with a rock star theme, which he will absolutely love! And a big stack of his favorite books too! He will have an awesome birthday!

But there was even more in the box.....I recently had to pull out of two exchanges due to our financial situation. Carrie sent me a card and inside was a wonderful note that brought tears to my eyes. She said she didn't want me to go without an exchange and sent me one anyway. I was in shock! The picture does not show everything she sent, but needless to say....I was literally brought to tears by her generosity. The blue velvet stocking was filled with all kinds of goodies including some six strand sweets floss and mill hill charms, a 2010 calandar and lots of other items.

Carrie, I don't know how you always know when I'm feeling down, but you never fail to amaze me. I am so blessed to have found such a wonderful friend and I thank God that He's brought you into my life. If the world only had more people like you and Rog and your generous hearts it would be a much better place. Thank you for being my friend and giving me a shoulder to cry on. You are an angel in disguise.

Hugs to all and happy stitching!