Tiny Pin Cushion

Since Margaret has been saying that a big pau(dumpling)-like pin cushion is in the making, I thought I'd make a her a tiny pin cushion to accompany it! A case of the opposites :) Since she is a Prarie Schooler fan and I'm on a 'no chart till X'mas state' ( a self-imposed torture :( ), my grey cells started working again thanks to the encouragement of you blogger friends, what better design than a PS freebie!! Talk about killing two birds with one stone :)

Design from Prarie Schooler (freebie)
Stitched with DMC threads on Cashel, 2/2

Glad you like it Margaret. You can find the freebie here.

Garden Card Exchange Strike One!

This is my first contribution in an exchange...card wise :) I'm a real beginner and those creative grey cells are somewhat limited on any given day :) So I thought I'd incorporate something near home ground. I figured a smallish piece of stitching will do the trick! And so it did when I heard that Mel loves it!!

Leave design by Katrin Cargrill
Stitched with Carrie's Thread (Fall Splendour) on Rustico aida

Comment Notes: Thank you good people for your wonderful and encouraging comments. They just inspire me so. Thank you...bowing ever so lowly.

Tie-On Class at Focus on Finishing

I was lazying in bed this Saturday morning and didn't really want to wake-up. It was already past 8.00 am...ah you gotta love Saturdays! Then I remembered Karen's tie-on pillow class. Got up immediately, switched on the PC and got connected. And as promised the instructions were up.

After all the mundane Saturday chores were done with, I set on to my task. It took more time than expected. Some time to tie that darn ribbon and yet it doesn't look half as good as Karen's. I so like this finishing and this will definitely not be my last attempt! :)

Design from The Gift of Stitching Online Magazine (freebie) called French Hearts
Stitched with Carrie's Thread (Olde World Red) on antique white Belfast, 2/2

You can find Karen's comprehensive tutorial here.

Comment Notes: Thank you so much dear fellow bloggers and non-bloggers ;) on your comments on my wee box. It was a real interesting project and took a lot of 'planning'. Well, I've bought some better looking paper already and am thinking of a design...we'll see what I'll cook up next ;) Have a great day everyone!

SHS Update & A Box

It's been almost 2 weeks and I've only progressed a tiny bit on SHS. Frankly I finished Band 2 just last night :p I want to try to stitch 1 band in 1 week. That should not be too difficult to do right? Granted some bands are easy and some bands are a tad more difficult, but it should even out...I think ;)

Wee Box (Front)
Design from Sajou (Freebie)
Stiched with DMC Variegated 75 on Cashel, 2/2

I tried assembling a wee box this morning. An inspiration from Yuko's site. However I've only stitched the front and replaced the side and back with red fabric.

Inside

Not too happy with it as it didn't align precisely. Oh well...one learns from mistakes :) And the lid stay a little open, but I can remedy that with a ribbon around it. It measures 2 1/4"W x 2 3/4"H x 3/4"D.

Card Swap - Garden Theme

Aren' t they all so cute. Ying sent me ALL this just now! Love it!! Thank you so much Ying. So much creativity has gone into the card, just amazing. This is the first card swap on NNC and thank you Ying for organizing it.

Much thanks indeed.

Tatted Bookmark Exchange

Cross Bookmark
Tatted with DMC Cordonnet Special 60 in White
with pink DMC embroidery floss for tassle
(Design from an old freebie, sorry can't recall from which site)

Rosa posted that she has received the bookmark I sent her for the SNN Tatted Bookmark Exchange. I tatted a cross because from her blog she was always giving them away to family and friends. I figured it's time she received one :) Glad to hear from Rosa that the cross bookmark now resides in her bedside bible. I am oh so humbled...

Comment Notes: Thank you all for dropping by and your wonderful comments, makes me think I can fly ;) Thank you Karen for mentioning my tutorial on the Focus on Finishing blog, glad I could help in some small way.

Flatfold SAL - Finish

Photo Frame flatfold

Design from Casa Mia (freebie)
Stitched on Cashel with DMC threads, 2/2

Side View

Back View

I am quite happy how this flatfold, albeit with a little twist. I made into a photoframe instead.

The front panel was the trickiest as you all can imagine. Since I wanted to be able to change the photos every now and again I left the front panel and the inner front panel unglued on the sides, so to slide the photos. However I made a boo boo as you will see in the tutorial that I cannot stick the bottom sides together because of the 'ledge' I made. You can see that those panels are quite apart. However I've found a way around this. I'll just use blue tack! ;)

Flatfold Photo Frame - Tutorial

You will need:

Stitched piece (a border design)
4 pcs of boards (size of your exact stitched area + 1/4" - 1/2" margin on all sides)
Batting
Ribbon
Glue
Velcro
1 pc of co-ordinating fabric (for the back panel)
2 pcs of co-ordinating wrapping paper, felt or fabric (for the 2 inner panels)

• Cut 2 pcs of the boards slightly shorter as compared to the front and back piece. This is to facilitate easier stitching on the top of the two main pieces later.
• Cover the back piece with with glue and stick on the batting
• Cut out an aperture out of the front piece, glue all sides and stick batting, cut out batting covering the aperture.

• Wrap to two inner facing pieces with wrapping paper, felt or fabric

• Cut out an aperture from the stitched piece, provide allowance for folding

• Wrap the back piece with fabric and the front piece with the stiched piece. Ensure the sides are all even, this is the trickiest part

• Provide a 'ledge' for the photo to sit at the bottom of the aperture by sticking a strip of board. Ensure the position corresponds to the size of the aperture and the size of the photo that you'd want to display. Mine was a 5R i.e. 5" x 7"
• Mistake: I should have used velcro instead of cardboard that way the bottom part of the front pieces will stick together. I have a gap now.

• Glue 2 strips of ribbon to the back of the back piece (Pardon the photo)
  

• Glue the inner back piece onto the back piece. Glue on all sides and press.
  
• Trim the ribbon the required length and glue them to the back of the front piece. Under the 'ledge' or velcro.

• Paste the inner front piece onto the back of the front piece. Glue only the top and bottom parts. If you're using velcro then just a strip on the top and bottom. The sides are free, so that the photo can slide into the frame.
• Sew the tops together with slip stitch.
• You might want to add a clear piece of plastic on the photo to protect it
  

Give it a try. If you have any questions, comment here and I'll answer them in my next blog post.

Flatfold SAL - Update

The stitching's done, now to convert it into a photoframe. I've cut up the boards this morning, will assemble them tomorrow I hope. The design is a freebie from CasaMia. Pardon the fushia it's actually DMC 304 :) The flatfold SAL dateline is on 31st March. So I am way ahead ;)

Perhaps I'll shall make it into a small tutorial..hmm...yes I will do that.

I've done the stitching for the Pin Cushion exchange on NNC, so I need to finish it by next week. It's going all the way to Liverpool, England. The first card swap on NNC is also done. No pics for this two till April I'm afraid :)

I am looking forward to stitching the Sara Hathorne Sampler. Again it has taken a back seat with the exchanges recently. Hope to make much more progress this time around.

Comment Notes: Thank you one and all. It's really very inspiring to hear all the lovely comments. Truly appreciate you taking the time to write. Really nice to see people from far and near sharing a great love for needlework.

A Stitcher's Prayer - A finish

A Stitcher's Prayer
Designed by Little House Needlework
Stitched on Cashel Linen with DMC threads, 2/2

Yeap it's finished! This was an easy piece really. Quite smooth sailing and not too many colour changes to deal with. Very rustic and the words very apt! :)

Now I need to buckle down and complete a couple of exchanges and the SHS sampler, if I want to start the Long Dog, 18th Century Sampler with my stitching pals at NNC in May.

Comment Notes: Thank you all for your encouraging words. Loved reading everyone of them. I see Eileen you're feeling much better now.

A Stitcher's Prayer - Update

Like Sue says this is really coming on nicely. And am glad that I'm inspiring Vonna in return ;) Stitching on Cashel is such a joy not too demanding on the old eyes!

Maybe if I give it a night of two, it'll be finished and then I 'll go back to some smalls for the Pin Cushion Exchange, the flatfold SAL and card swap on NNC.

Comment Notes: Thank you all for your comments, love reading them. And yes Jess you're right, it's a MUST stitch for every stitcher!