It's Hump Day!

Well--I did take a little break...I didn't work on anything Monday night :)  But then I just couldn't help myself and had to go back to it on Tuesday. (Monday night was devoted to watching The Walking Dead and Alcatraz) hehe :)

I worked on my polka dot squares a little and worked a little more on the embroidery on my quilt. I continued work on the "scales" of the koi...that's what it is, by the way, a koi pond. I don't think I've been that specific about it before! So here's a peek at the scales...

he has eyes too! :) 

I'm pleased with how the scales are coming along, but it's slow work. I'm using regular embroidery floss (DMC cotton, size 25) for the scales (two strands) and it's much easier on the fingers--smaller needle and not as much brute force required to get through the fabric. The eyes are also regular floss. The white stripe (I'm not sure of what that is actually called on a real koi) is DMC Pearl cotton, size 5 (as are the veins on the lily pad).

I'm not sure how I'll work the fins and tail yet. I'm thinking I'm going to have to look at many more pictures of real koi to see what might look the best. 

I can't wait to see what it looks like when I get all the embroidery finished! I have an idea of what I'll do for the backing, but I still have no idea about the binding. So if any quilters out there are reading this and have any ideas about a good binding--PLEASE leave a comment with your suggestion! I'd really appreciate it. I know I haven't posted a picture of the whole thing yet, but the blue is the entire background, and the only other colors are the orange of the koi and the green of the lily pad.

Even if you're not a quilter, I'd still love some comments and feedback! Let me hear from you!

She selects wool and flax 

and works with eager hands.

Proverbs 31:13 

Thunder, lightning, and lots of rain!

The Weekend

Well, my luck did in fact NOT hold out--there was much rain on Friday and through the night, so no soccer on Saturday. But, that was alright because I took my beautiful nieces, E and R, to see The Lorax. They were quite excited :)

R (5 yrs old) on the left, and E (7 yrs old--and a snaggle-tooth) on the right

I also used the weekend to continue working on my quilt. I completed all appliques and began the process of embroidering the details. So my fingers are now quite sore--both from the hand applique and the embroidery. I'm far from finished with the embroidery, so I think I'll take a few days' break and allow my fingers to recuperate!

Here's a peek at the embroidery...one lily pad, all done!

 A little bit of life

Were my Mamaw (my great-grandmother) still alive--she went home to be with Jesus in 2008 at the ripe old age of 93 and a half years--you could visit her little house and hear lots of interesting stories about all kinds of people from back in the day. You could also see the rocking chair in which she did most, if not all, of her crocheting and hand sewing. And if you turned that chair to look at the right-hand side, you'd see a veritable cornucopia of pins and needles. She would work on something, usually crocheting around the edges of wash cloths or hemming a pair of pants she'd bought, and then stick the pins and needles in the side of the chair. I can't remember a time when this wasn't the case.

I tell you all of that to show you this...

my "pin cushion"

Yes--there is no doubt about it--I am my Mamaw! :)  At least when it comes to sticking my pins in the furniture. Granted, my pins and needles do eventually make it back to their proper resting place, but I still had to laugh at myself when I realized what gets passed down from generation to generation. 

I think Mamaw would be pleased to know that I'm still quilting (from time to time) and crocheting, since she is the one who taught me both.

Some new goodies!

I got two new goodies to help me with my craftiness! And BOTH were 40% off!!! I LOVE getting things on sale, don't you?!?

While trying to iron the 3/16" seam allowance on my first lily pad the other night, I just about burned my hand off. All I had at that time was my regular Rowenta iron--a big hunk of a thing that is not very conducive to ironing 3/16" seam allowances! Then I ran across this wonderful little thing on someone's quilting blog--a mini iron. Now, I don't know what this says about me, but I had no idea that such a thing existed! I had to have one!

So after work Friday, I braved the rain (well, the sprinkling at that time) and went to Hobby Lobby and found this lovely little Clover Mini Iron! And since I had a 40% off coupon, I left Hobby Lobby very happy! :)

clover mini iron

I then went over to Michael's, for which I also had a 40% off coupon, to look for a craft light. Imagine my delight when I found that ALL of the OttLites were already marked down by 40%!! (I have a lot of !! in this post...) So now I can iron teeny tiny seam allowances and actually SEE what I'm doing while stabbing myself in the fingers with sharp little needles. *grin*

new OttLite!! (just ignore the messy side table)

Last, but not least...

I would like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!! to my Daddy. Today is his birthday, but I won't tell how old he is--just in case he's sensitive about that kind of stuff :)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, 

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 

Another Sneak Peek, a WIP, and Some Other Stuff

Another Sneak Peek!

Hi Folks!!  Happy Leap Day! 

I've been working more on my quilt--appliqued another item onto the background. So here's the sneak peek...

it's a lily pad! the detail isn't that great in this pic...

WIP

Now let me share how much of a procrastinator, lazy bum, insert other descriptive words here, that I am. I have, for the past 2 years, been working on a knit afghan. It's a patchwork pattern that I got from LionBrand, and it has three different stitches--garter, moss, and seed (that's my favorite). Why it is taking me so long I have no idea except that I think I just get tired of working on it! So, I put it down and don't go back to it for a few months. So call it what you will...

Here are the three different squares/colors/stitches. It will be GREAT when I get it finished. I'm making it to keep in my living room to cover up with when it's chilly...

red =  garter stitch, oatmeal = moss stitch, grey =  seed stitch (I think!!)

And the Other Stuff...

Over the last couple years I've been fairly crafty...a little of this, a little of that. First up is the Etch-A-Sketch ornament I made for my Christmas tree :)

love it!!  :)

It's felt, with embroidery, and there is a green grosgrain ribbon hanger that is not visible in this pic. (I also do some embroidery every now and then. I can't remember if I'd mentioned that previously...)

...

My sister's BFF had a baby not so long ago, so I decided I'd make her a little Bunny Blanket Buddy :)  I also decorated the craft box that I gave her the bunny in so that she could use that in the nursery as well. She had a little girl...(she looks just like her dad by the way)

bunny blanket buddy

Isn't it the most precious thing?? I have to brag on myself a little bit because I had to tweak the pattern a bit (mostly because I didn't like the way it looked according to pattern)...and here's the box in which I presented the bunny:

...

For Christmas 2010, I made my sister a multi-giant-granny square afghan. (She was all pouty because the Christmas before, I made E and R--my two nieces--knit afghans haha!! just kidding sis...). I can't find the pictures of the girls' afghans, but here is one of the squares of my sister's. I LOVED the colors in this one...

...

One year for Christmas, right after I learned to knit, my sister made me this CUTE ornament for my Christmas tree...I love it. And I have really wanted to make some myself to give to people, but I just haven't made the time! Again--I'm a procrastinator like that...

knit tree ornament by my sister :)

...

Now, the rest of my post is dedicated to the "little bit of life" that I refer to in my blog description. First up is a pic of one of my favorite flowers--the gardenia. This is a picture of the gardenia bush that grows at the corner of my great-grandfather's old house that I rented up until a year and a half ago. It's actually on the corner of the garage, so everyday when I'd get home from work and get out my car, I'd be greeted with the wonderful scent of gardenias :)  LOVED it...

beautiful, yummy smelling gardenia

  ...

In February 2010, my first cat, my sweet Desi, died. She was almost eight. Shortly after that, I went to a workshop on Art Therapy and the Grief Process (I'm a counselor by day, remember). It was there that I picked up chalk! (and it may be then that all this crafty goodness started in earnest, too). 

The following three pictures are irises, done in chalk by me, and they hang above my bed. I'm very proud of them, as I actually consider myself to have NO artistic ability whatsoever. But every now and then, I'll get a spurt of it from somewhere, and this kind of stuff comes out...

irises in chalk

I also did a calla lily triptych, but those aren't framed, and I also cannot find the picture I took of them. Maybe one day I'll find it and post it here, because those are really lovely.

...

And this...this is my sweet, lovey-dovey kitty Jude. Around 6 months old, he loved getting into the trash can in the bathroom. Luckily, he would usually only get in if it was empty...He's now nearly 2 years old, and he is still lovey-dovey and the sweetest cat. And of course he has me wrapped around his little paw--I'm trained very well :)

my Jude

So there you have it--another sneak peek, a WIP, and some other stuff. Hope you enjoyed it!

I'd love to hear from you, so leave some comments!!