Show of hands, please!

I have had so much fun making these bed pockets and, as I found out when photographing this one, you could use it under your sewing machine! I think it might have many useful adaptations.

Remember a few posts back I hinted that I might be having a drawing of some sort? How many of you (show of hands, please :-) would like to have a bed pocket made by me? The one pictured here is not the one I'll be drawing for. It'll be a surprise. Leave me a comment here on the blog or, if you have trouble doing that, send me an email letting me know you want your name added to the drawing. I will take comments until Sunday, November 8, at which time I will draw the name of the winner. Even if you don't want or need one, it might just be a perfect Christmas gift.

Thanks to Cori at Chitter Chatter Designs for sharing this pattern with us. She is one of the Stitcher's Angel project designers.

Bed pocket finished

Very happy with the finished product. Now to label it and get it in the mail with the rest of the Stitcher's Angel items.

Quiltlet 2009

I decided to go ahead and participate in this year's quiltlet swap on QOR. For a while I didn't think I'd take the time but the longer I looked at these blocks on my wall, the more I knew I wanted to do something with them. I made the blocks from cut off corners that came from blocks made for the Starlight quilt (still in progress). I hope I can continue to use the cast offs to make other little projects. I made the blocks during those times I would stay overnight with Dad. He would take the cut off pieces and stack them nicely because he said it would help me work faster. He loved helping even in a small way.

I am a little upset that I didn't take more time to match up points, but it's ok. I really enjoyed planning, drawing and working the trapunto.

Now I need to make a label for it and then it will go in the mail. It should be out the door before the end of the week.

Hmmm...

My first attempt at color embroidery. Surely there's a technical name for it, but I can't think of it right now. I thought that the more I practiced the art of embroidery, the better I'd get at it. But, I feel that this piece really shows me how much more practice I really need! I have never been able to do a satin stitch to my liking and some of my lines could be a bit straighter. I used regular Crayola crayons for the coloring. I'm ok with it, but I really want to explore other coloring pencils for this type of work. Looking at the birds makes me think a grade schooler colored them! lol Oh well, it'll work up nicely into a bed pocket and maybe no one will notice the childishness of it. And then, perhaps, that may add to its charm.

It's Saturday so I'm off to get ready for another busy, busy day. Working only three days a week almost leaves me breathless when trying to keep up with all my customer requests. I don't like to say "no" and sometimes it gets me in trouble, timewise. But, most, if not all, my clients are so sweet and patient. Thank you all!

What you do when the baby's sleeping

Kerrington and I spent about two and half hours at my house today. While she took a nap, I made this Bed Pocket. You place the background piece between the mattress and box spring and the pocket holds things that tend to fall off your night stand. In order for it not to slip out, you need to pin it with safety pins or mattress pins. I think I'll use "T" pins. Is that the same thing as a mattress pin? This is my trial project since I want to make one for my Stitcher's Angel project. I will probably do some embroidery on the next one.
Another project for my Angel swap partner. This started out a little bit bigger to fit a composition book. By the time I was finished with it, it was about a quarter of a inch too small. So, I bought a little smaller book and revised the cover to fit. I will have three stitched items to send to her by the end of the month. It's going to Australia so I need to get it in the mail.

I have really enjoyed working on these crocheted hats. I've got a couple more started. Can you say "attention deficit syndrome"? lol I don't know why I tend to jump from one project to another. I really try to finish what I start, but I have a lot of things started!

I am yawning and so I assume it's time to go to bed since it's after 11 p.m. I get started on something around 9 p.m. and I can't put it down. I've really got to learn some discipline. But, I love doing this.

Ask, and you shall receive..

If I have time, that is. :-) Who wouldn't have time to make another one of these little caps? If you read comments from my last entry, April mentioned that Kerrington wanted one of these, too. How can I deny my granddaughter?? I had tried the first cap on Kerrington and could tell it was too small for her (just right for a newborn, I think) so I just used a little larger hook. I want to go by Hobby Lobby and find some of that new-fangled yarn they have out and make a few more. Maybe even for some of our larger heads! LOL

It's Friday again and a busy day ahead. Jim and I took a ride over to the Senior Citizen center yesterday and got our flu shots. It was the first time I'd been there. I saw a few ladies I hadn't seen in a while. Seems like this is the hangout!

Our heater is on the blink. We're trying to decide if we should continue to have repairmen come and "fix" it (which hasn't happened after three or four visits) or just bite the bullet and have a whole new unit installed. Bet we end up having to get a new one. It was 36 degrees outside this morning and 69 inside. I don't mind it, but Jim needs a little more warmth. He's not menopausing! lol But, I surely don't want to be caught with subzero temps outside and no heat to speak of.

Off to finish getting ready. Have a good weekend!

More crochet than quilting

Yes, I know. Kerrington has enough hats. This one is earmarked for a newborn. Might be a bit big, but it'll fit a one to two month old, I'm sure. I found the pattern here. I added the flower on a whim. You can find just about any tutorial on You Tube. Here's the link to the crocheted flower. All the crochet patterns you've seen on my blog lately have been found on the Crochet Pattern Central page. The hats were found under "baby hats". This particular one is titled "Bordering on Adorable Cap".

Halloween decorations

Here you go! The October BOM is finished. I cheated again in that I had fabric with pumpkins on it and so I did not have to make my own applique pieces. I just ironed fusible onto the back of the pumpkin fabric, cut it out, ironed onto a square and buttonhole stitched to attach. This is the Halloween deco I have at the shop. Notice the Scentsy Jack o'lantern on the counter. I'm not a great Halloween lover so this is the extent of my holiday decoration. Click on the picture to get a closer look.

Crochet

I've been trying to find a pattern for a crocheted hat that works up quickly and is cute. I may have just found it! I made this one last night in an hour and a half. I know how long it took because I was listening to my Scentsy training audio and that's how long it lasted. By the way, the training session I was in on last night had 1,000 people hooked up to it! The largest session Scentsy has ever had. They were instructing us in the new website changes. Can't wait to place my first order on the new site!