Tea for Two Time

Hello Everyone! Thank you to Madam Samm from Sew We Stitch, Cori from Creativity Amongst Chaos and Mary from Needled Mom for this wonderful blog hop - the work from yesterday was gorgeous! My big reveal is not what I had hoped for. This was going to be a tea cozy and mug rugs for my mom for Easter but I got very sick and was not able to complete the whole project. This is all I have - my apologies to the 3 ladies who put this fun hop together!

I am going to finish the other stitcheries and finish the gift for my mom - she is a huge tea lover and will really appreciate it! Please visit the other lovely blogs today and over the next few days to see the wonderful projects everyone has done!


Happy Stitching
Maria

April 1st
Happiness is Cross Stitching
Doris guest posting at Sew We Stitch
Chalk Outlines
Moose Stash Quilting
Needled Mom
April 2nd
Creativity Amongst Chaos
Hill Valley Quilter
MaMAccessories
Blessings From Our Nest
April 6th
How ART you?
Stitchin' By The Lake
Bumbleberry Cottage
Sew Incredibly Crazy
It Seams to be Sew
April 7th
Jenny of Elefantz
Sunshine's Blog
I Piece 2 Mary
Just Let Me Quilt
Sew We Stitch

Gathering supplies and starting my stitching!

I finally chose my colors for the Tea for Two blog hop project that Mary from Needled Mom and Madame Samm are hosting. I absolutely love the design that Cori from Chitter Chatter Designs and Creativity Amongst Chaos blog created and can not wait to start stitching! Here are my choices for that project. I tried to imagine summer day in the 1930s! Not only did Cori design that wonderful pattern - she is also creating a Paper Lady series with a vintage feel. You can purchase each monthly pattern separately or in 3 month bundles. I love January and I saw a peek at February and I know she is just as gorgeous! She and Madame Samm are hosting a Stitch A Long that I am joining in on too! I chose a gray/blue color scheme for my January lady! The fabric is a gray blue color and I have little snowflake buttons to add when she is done!

I plan to post 2-3 updates on the Ladies each week but the Tea For Two reveal is scheduled for early April. The schedule will be on the blog so I can cheer each participant on every day! Happy Stitching! Maria

My princesses' stocking & hat

This post is a throwback to this past Christmas but since I am determined to really keep up on my projects with my blog I wanted to post this! My daughter and son-in-law surprised us by telling us a week before Christmas that they were coming up to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with us. This was such great news since we are still in temporary housing since we relocated so far from family and our home. Our house still hasn't sold and even though we brought our decorations and some of our things we are still living in limbo and I was nervous that Christmas may not be festive for our 8 year old son since it would be just the 3 of us..so hearing this from my daughter and knowing our baby princess would be here to open gifts on Christmas morning made us so happy! Then I set about making my princess a new stocking! I combined patchwork, a little beading and felt applique to make her this stocking...

We had a great day!

Then I decided princess needed a new hat for the cold so I crocheted this one for her - it looks precious on her!

I will post more tomorrow about my new embroidery projects! Maria

Tea for Two Blog Hop!

I am going to participate in another blog-hop! Madamm Samm is coordinating another great embroidery blog hop using a great design by Cori at ChitterChatter.com. It will be held in April and I will post all the links to view everyone's work when it starts!

Claim my blog

Follow my blog with Bloglovin I am adding my blog to bloglovin

things to knit for Vera

Source: Fudgecake Matinee Set knitting Pattern via maybebaby1422977 on Craftsy

This was a lot of fun!  I have to thank Madame Sam of Sew We Quilt for adding a hop with stitching!  So many thanks to Debbie of Busy As Can Be and Cyndi of Stitch Stitch Stitch for the great patterns they created and of course to Jane of Jane's Fabrics and Quilts for being our cheerleader!

It was so hard choosing just one pattern that I have plans to complete each one and make a few gifts from them!  The one I choose for the hop reminded me of my home and I tried to add some flowers that I used to have until work being done on my house a few years ago destroyed them...but I told my husband that after this, we are planting them again this Spring!

Here are a few pictures of my house, it is temporarily on a stretched canvas until the other blocks are completed to make a wall-hanging for my Aunt.

 

This was a lot of fun!  I would definitely participate in another one - they are not scary at all! LOL!

 

Please visit all the other lovely blogs showcasing their hard work today and for the rest of the blog-hop!

 

THURSDAY March 21st

 

Janice@ That Other Blog

Angela@ That Other Blog

piece peace

Stitchin’ By The Lake  

Phoenix Heirlooms

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Mamaccessories

 Molly's Place

Kath's Creations

Get More Done Today 

Sew Many Yarns

The Distracted Domestic

Sheila's Quilt World

UK City Crafter 

 

 

FRIDAY March 22nd

 

Keri@That Other Blog

Heather@That Other Blog

The Sewing Club

SewMuch 2 Luv

Englating

Kris Loves Fabric

Crazy'boutquilts

Quiltsmiles

Ninis Patchwork Blog 

ArtFriendzy

Batiks by the Bay

Dancing Moon

grymerspalet

Love it Sew it

 

MONDAY MARCH 25th

 

Beverly @That Other Blog

Betty@That Other Blog

Stitches to Sprinkles 

 Stitch Duchess' Crazy and Sane Quilting World

Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Kathy's Quilts

Mountain Delights 

Tea and Quilts    

 Charlottes Creations

Quilt Obsession

The Slow Quilter

Cali Quilter

Little Pieces of My Life

Creating My Comforts

 

 

TUESDAY MARCH 26th

 

Isabel @That Other Blog

Jeanette @That Other Blog

Just Let Me Quilt

MacDonald’s Patch 

Pots Pans Pins and Prayers

GrandMama's Stories

Stitch, Stitch, Stitch

Needled d

Tomorrow's Treasures Today 

Lemur on a Stick

 Life In Every Breath

Zellerwear 

 Bumbleberry Stitches

threads on my socks

Hanging On By A Thread

Fresh Cut Quilts

 

WEDNESDAY MARCH 27TH

 

Judy @That Other Blog

lauraluvsloons and Quilting too

Sew Sharyn

Sewingly Along

Anita's quilts en handwerken

Quilt Doodle Doodles

Val's Simple Passions

Luv2Sew

Busy As Can Be

Paws for Stitching

 Quilting & Other Craft Therapy

pieceful life

Live Love Labs

Felt pa Asly

Scrapbook-ChickADoodle

 

 

THURSDAY MARCH 28th

 

Kristin @That Other Blog

Robin @That Other Blog

Jane's Fabric and Quilts

Dexterdays The WorldThrough Our Window

Sew Nicely 

thistle creek cottage

My Art, My So Called Life

Just Sew Sue

Co mne bavi...

life, quilts and a cat too

TeaTimeCreations

Read, quit, cook, pray

Cate's Linens

Shade Tree Quilting

Ladybug Dreams

 

 

FRIDAY MARCH 29th

 

Sharon @That Other Blog

Patricia @That Other Blog

Blessings From Our Nest

Liberty Threads

Caribou Crossing Chronicles of Quilts, the Weather and other Fun Stuff

Quilting, sewing Granny

Creatin' in the Sticks

Melinda Quilts Etc

Ga's House

Dachsies with Moxie

Hill Valley Quilter

Quilt n Queen

Madame Samm



I am going to be in a blog hop!

I finally did it!  I joined a Blog Hop hosted by the wonderful and talented Madame Samm from Sew We Quilt and our Cheerleader/Organizer is the equally talented Jane from Jane"s Fabrics and Quilts.  I love both of these ladies' blogs and have enjoyed the many wonderful blog hops that Mdm Samm has hosted,  I decided I had to join  - this one is all stitchery - my favorite!!  I received the patterns tonight and already am planning what I want to do with them!

On a separate note I had just started an embroidery project of vintage girls that I plan to use as quilt blocks for a wall hanging - here is a picture of what is in my hoop right now

Another current craft project are the new techniques I am learning from participating in a year long workshop called LifeBook 13.  Last week we learned a great one using aluminum foil and painted coffee filters...yes straight from the kitchen!  It was a lot of fun, painting and stenciling the filters, gluing them to the foil and finally molding them into petals - I loved it!  Here is my end journal page.  It is definitely something I will do with the Prince again - he loves trying new things and I can see me using it in scrapbooking pages.

And my very best news is my youngest daughter is getting married...and she is having a baby!!!  I crocheted this sweater sans trim right now until we know if I need to add pink lace crochet trim or blue boyish trim....I am so excited!

I will post again this weekend - I have a busy few days coming up and I hope to get more stitching done and catch up on my quilt BOMs so I can post them as well. It will be a way to keep me honest so I get them done!

Maria

Welcome Spring!

There is definitely something about Spring that makes me feel so good and energized. I think that is the way so many feel. Even though we did not have a bad winter, it was still gray and dreary. I don't like being shut up in the house so I feel gray and dreary too!

I tried to keep busy with online classes this winter and realized that I love to draw and paint but sewing is my true love so I am trying to design a quilt that will incorporate painting on fabric, embroidery designs I drew and quilt blocks. I then realized that I need to blog about it to record it for my memory...I forget things so easily!

I recently found this tutorial detailing how to make baby blankets that Jenny from Missouri Quilt Company created. She is such a wonderful instructor and is always sharing great tips and patterns. These were so easy that I made 2 for my grandson and one each for my nieces! Not the greatest picture - but if I waited for a good shot this post would never happen!

I also took a great class on sewing curves that Rachel from Stitched in Color hosted. She gave us patterns and instructions for so many projects and had such clear detailed steps for each. I highly suggest any online classes she hosts. Here are 2 clamshell pillows using raw applique I made - this was the first or second project. I used the scraps from one to make a train for my son - he is 5 now and has loved trains since he was about 1 year old!

And I have been drawing faces! But I will post pictures of them tomorrow. I have had a blast drawing too!

A new past-time

So.....all my life I have wanted to draw and paint.....and I always heard this voice telling me I am not good enough.......then about 2 months ago I realized - Hey that is my voice. So I gave it a try.....maybe I am not good at it, but I love it. I actually started following some art therapy blogs, joined a few free Ning sites, took a few free online workshops and I am loving it. First I started with flowers, then little girls, this past week I have been doing some collages. Indulge me (if anyone is reading this!) with a few photos:

My kids

Last night and today were great. My younger daughter came to visit us after work last night and today was her day off so she came again. She and my Prince love each other so much, it is fun to watch them together (she is 19 years older than him!) She asked me to make her some gifts to give her friend for her baby shower - she said that I would make something nicer than she could buy - what a compliment! I did get a little misty. I am making a towel set that has a monkey hood (jungle theme for the nursery) and a great wall hanging using applique that I found here... http://lellaboutique.blogspot.com/2011/03/baby-bird-stitcheries.html - I am going to make it with a Giraffe elephant and monkey instead of birds.

Have you seen the word art pictures that seem to pop up on blogs now and then- I found a website that you can make your own! You have to check it out! Tagexedo is the name and you can make your own pictures for free! There is no giveaway or anything, just something I wanted to share with anyone who may read this.

I finished the embroidery on the face for my Princess's doll - I'll post some pictures tomorrow, along with the progress I make on the baby shower gift....did I mention the shower is Saturday???

Blessings, Maria

Helloooo.....

The past few weeks I have been silent on my blog due to my health....my heart is acting up again and my back is horrible....the doctors were actually talking emergency surgery for the back, but luckily that is not necessary. There will be more surgery soon to stop more of the nerve damage from getting a lot worse but I have babied myself (kind of) and it seems to be calming down enough to hold off for a month or so to see if I have to take care of the heart or back first....Relaxing with my knitting and embroidery has made me very reflective.....When I started this blog I thought I would chronicle what the Prince and I made, but since I don't want to show my little Prince on the World Wide Web, I decided not to do this...then I started reading other blogs and tried to mirror the things I liked other people were doing. That started me trying to follow a lot of the same projects. While I love quilting (and I do!) I am not a "swapper" or a machine quilter...I more of a small project kind of gal. I looooved making my Irish wall hanging and for the past few weeks I have been having a ball making things for my Prince to play with. So from this point on, I am just going to take off the self imposed pressure to create masterpices and have fun creating what ever I feel in the mood to do, or to fill "special orders" from my son! I used to make dolls when my girls were young and made some money doing it too, nothing major but enough to help a little financially and have fun doing it. I have my Prince, my grandson and my nephew Big Brotha and now my niece Lil Sista to make toys for and that is what I want to do. I just made the Prince a monster truck play mat that folds into a back pack.

We have a new knitted teddy bear, a stuffed felt monkey, a squishy baby doll and pillow bed for our niece and our pirate doll that have been mde lately too. Next is a doll for my younger daughter (she is 23 an is still heart-broken over the doll that I made her years ago that her older sister drew on) and then back to the boys and our princess......Ahh I love these kids. My grandson will be home for the summer soon. He lives with my mom (God Bless her!!) and I miss him so much. The nephew and niece are my cousins children. I am 14 years older than her and she has always been so special to me so it follows that her children would be too. I am still busy with my BOMs from Lynn at Blue Bird quilts and Val Laird- those have been fun too! I hope you like the pictures! I am still trying to master getting them where I want them!

Maria

Spring and a hammock

Today the Prince and I spent the afternoon outside enjoying the beautiful day.

It not only felt like Spring - we found these crocus in the front of the house!

(I love his shadow looking towards the flowers)

There was a bee in this one enjoying the flower too, until I took the picture!

All the sun and gorgeous breezes made think of the gift I won from yesterday from

Marydon at Blushing Rose
so I tonight I ordered this folding hammock

with the $45.00 gift certificate from CSN.com
Isn't it great???? It folds for easy storage and comes with a cover and pillow!

I can not wait to sit...or more realistically watch the Prince and my hubbie sit in it LOL!

THANK YOU AGAIN MARYDON!!!!

Blessings to all,

Maria

I WON at Blushing Rose blogspot

Have you ever visited Marydon at Blushing Rose ? If you haven't yet, you really should. Her blog is like visiting a friend for tea. The soft colors, the soothing music and wonderful graphics she uses make me stop by to visit often! On one of those stops, I entered a giveaway she had and.....well the title of the blog takes away the surprise here.....I won! Yes me, I won a $45.00 gift certificate to CSNstores.com is that great! The funny part is when I visited Marydon this morning, I was so busy enjoying her gorgeous pictures of Ireland that I didn't even notice that I won.....Sad but true, my husband said I was sweet when I told him that part (sarcasm I think right?). Yes I scrolled right to the pictures and missed my name!

I have to thank Marydon again - I am thrilled to have won and I do love her blog. Please visit her blog to say hi, you can use the button on the sidebar or the link above.

If you haven't visited CSN - go there too they have great items and free shipping!

It was a gorgeous day here today. The prince and I went to the park near our home and to our great surprise there were other people there. We live in a small town and the park is tiny so we are usually alone. It was a lovely day. The mom and I had common interests (sewing, jewelry making and crocheting) and she has 3 boys of her own, 2 of which are near my little guys age. We exchanged numbers and e-mails so we can plan to meet another day. It has been 8 years here and besides my neighbors this is the first person who has been so friendly. Most people here in the village have lived here FOREVER (families whose great grandparents grew up here) so we are the newcomers and "outsiders"...she lives here about 8 years too, so she forgave my being new to town! LOL.....Between the giveaway and the new friends it was a great day.....You may say the luck of the Irish smiled on me!

Blessings to all!
Maria

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I know I should have waited to take a better picture when this is fully finished - but first of all I AM SO EXCITED that I am almost done and more importantly.....

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Blessings to all,
Maria

Another Hobby!

So I decided I must have ADCD (Attention Deficit Crafting Disorder)...Yesterday I went to get another yard of the fabric I had run out of and needed to finish the Irish Wall Hanging and there they were....Knitting Needles. I crochet and love it, but all the times I have tried to learn to knit was a dismal failure. Well there was a sale, and I already have yarn (though to celebrate my trying again I did buy 2 skeins of a very soft beautiful yarn)...these are the excuses I readied for hubbie....Guess what - I FINALLY DID IT! I CAN KNIT!!! I went on YouTube.com (I find so many helpful how to crafting videos there) and I finally understand and I love it.....Even more than crochet! So now my WIP pile will grow and grow and grow! As for the ADCD, I hear the only way to treat it is with lots of fabric, yarn and time......
Maria

One step closer to hanging over the mantle

Here are the pictures of the blocks for my Irish Heritage Wall Hanging (click on each image for a better view!) My hubbie loves it and since he is the Irishman in the family (along with my Prince of course) I am happy! It makes me feel so good that he takes such an interest in what I create, he is such a good man...I think I'll keep him! I am going to work on the sashes and the triangles today and I hope I have more progress to post tomorrow........

While I was happily sewing along the plumber spent the better part of the day earning his $450 yesterday. It seems that there were roots growing in our septic lines that had to go. It was so necessary but I keep thinking imagine all the fabric I could have bought! Or as my little Prince was thinking how many Legos or monster trucks would that be!

On a much more serious note, I am sure like me, you are praying for those poor people in Japan. The devastation is just unthinkable. The pictures are so vivid, but I just can not imagine how horrible it must be for everyone there.

Maria

Must post pictures soon and Busy as Can Be!

My back has been a nuisance again and I think there is more surgery in my future soon...but I have been embroidering! I am making a St. Paddy's Day wall-hanging for my very proud to be Irish hubby! I will post pictures this weekend! I am pretty proud of it since I have designed all the embroidery myself! I have also finished the Retro 9 BOM block one and started on block 2. Oh and I am still working on the Consider the Lilies by Val Laird too! Along with my back issues I have Carpal Tunnel - so I work slow - LOL!

I have a new niece. Of course that means sewing for her! I started a doll and birth sampler pillow.

Look at this great stitchery from Debbie at Busy as Can Be http://busyascanbe.blogspot.com/2011/03/another-free-stitchery-giveaway.html - just post her button (see it on the side of my blog) and she'll send it to you - so sweet!

Pictures soon!

Bee in my Bonnet

Have you ever visited Lori Holt's blog? If you love applique and just reading fun posts check her out. I just added her button to my blog.....I am getting good at this!

She is having an awesome giveaway (yes I found another one!) so visit when you can!

http://beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com/2011/01/celebrating-my-new-look-with-giveaway.html

Fun Day with my 4 year old

Well, I did manage to applique a few leaves on my block but my boy wanted to do projects too! He is always busy with me when I craft anything. I love the time we spend like this and have sworn I will never choose sewing over playing....... So we spent a great day decoupaging wooden boxes I bought really cheap ($0.25) at Michaels Craft Store about a year ago oh and did some finger painting too. He made his grandma and big sister Valentines cards from hand prints and then sat down and "embroidered" with me. His father rolls his eyes when our boy wants to sew but I remind him of Rosie Greer (for my young reader he was a BIG burly football player from the 70s) who knitted!

I may not have finished my blocks but I had a much better day with my little guy. I will take pictures next time!
Maria