Monday, September 22, 2008

Needle Book



Cici from Sweden offered this little needle book pattern to the Stitcher’s Angels on Helens blog. I liked the one Cici made and decided to try to make one. I think it turned out very nicely, if I do say so myself. It is only about 2 1/2 inches wide, but it took quite a bit of time to make. I stitched all the writing on it and that is what took the longest. Would have used permanent marker, but mine were all dried out.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

I Got Mail!!!!!!!!!!





I got a wonderful surprise in the mail yesterday from my Stitcher’s Angel swap partner. She lives in Denmark and sent me all of these nice goodies. A beautiful needle book, a package of needles included, a cute little pincushion, 5 tubes of gorgeous beads, a lovely button, and last, but far from least, 2 chocolate candy bars. She did not tell me her name, but just in case she might see this, let me say thank you. You were very generous, and I will treasure the little needle book, but I am going to eat the chocolate right away!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Another Finish........and an Award


I finished the needle holder made from the pattern by Lynette Anderson. It was one of the patterns from the Stitcher’s Angel project. I think it turned out pretty cute. I don’t have any scissors that would fit in it, so it will be going to my swap partner.
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I have been choosing a favorite blogger each Friday for the last fourteen weeks, and now it is time to say goodbye to that idea. It was getting a bit boring to me and I don’t do boring. I am also too forgetful to do something that has to be done on a certain day each week. Yes, Myra, I forgot last Friday!!!
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This morning I found that Isabella from I Just Love to Stitch has passed on an award to me. Thank you. I can’t choose just 5 bloggers to nominate so I choose all of the bloggers on my lists. Just take the image from here and put it on your blog if you wish, and pass it along to whomever you care to. It is a very pretty little image.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Another Finish

I finished the pin cushion from the pattern that Karen from Cotton Spice offered to the Stitcher’s Angel project. I, of course, had to do things a little bit differently. I didn’t have any chenille, although my sister said she had some I could have. I chose to use regular quilting fabric for my pin cushion. I also used the stitchery pattern from Natalie Lymer’s project. I used a poly filled yo-yo in the center front with a button on the front and the back. I like the way it turned out. I won’t go into detail, but must say that I had to make it twice. The first time I made it, it was a pin pillow! Way too big!!!


Thursday, September 11, 2008

Danger!!!!!!!!!!!


A Woman's Week At The Gym

Dear Diary, For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.
I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.
My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

MONDAY:Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!
Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!
Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit- ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!

TUESDAY:I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY:The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals.
Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.
Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.
My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the heck would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other stuff too.

THURSDAY:Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes.
Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny b**ch to find me.
Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.

FRIDAY:I hate Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.
Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the da*n barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.
The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY:Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY:I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!
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Carin make me do it! She has just posted about starting back to the gym, and I had just read the above story, so that is the way this post came about. I found the cartoon on the web somewhere, and it just cracked me up. The "Woman's Week at the Gym" story was in a news letter from an online quilt shop called Stitchin Heaven. I didn’t see any copyright info, so I suppose it is ok if I use this material. If not, well, I guess that I can delete this post if it is requested that I do so. Here is a link to their web site. Maybe the free advertising will make them feel better about me using their stuff!!!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Finished the bag


Well, I finally got the bag finished. It is the pattern given to the Stitcher’s Angels by May Britt. Of course I had to mess with it just a bit. Added a frame of the contrast fabric around the stitchery, and made it too wide. The contrast fabric looks like it is the main fabric. I also did a little bit of quilting on the stitchery. It seemed to poof out from the batting. I didn’t have any cording, so I crocheted a chain with some ribbon yarn that I had and used that instead of cording. I think it matches the bag pretty well. All in all, I am very happy with the way it turned out. I wish I could take better pictures. I think I move just as I am taking the picture. I guess I need to set up a tripod and see if that helps. Tomorrow I am going to try to get started on the pincushion that is the next Stitcher's Angel patten. I won't be using chenille, because I don't have any!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Friday's Favorite Blog #14


It is Friday again and time to pick another favorite blogger. This week it is Claire from the Quilty Gal blog. She is another Aussie. Australia produces some very talented people. Most of the stitchery that I like is by Australian designers. I think you will enjoy a visit to her blog. She just finished a great looking bag for a swap she is in. Click here to go there.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Noah's Ark and.........



I got busy and finished the latest stitchery for the Noah’s Ark BOM. This one worked up quickly. I also got the stitchery done for the front of the May Britt bag. I am not going to point out a boo-boo I made. Hopefully no one else can see it!!! Now to the sewing machine and making the rest of the bag.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Finished the Caddy

Last night I finished the arm chair caddy by Helen of Hugs n Kisses. It is the first pattern that was offered in the Stitcher’s Angel project. I am happy with the way my caddy turned out, but the picture stinks. I took a bunch of pictures, but none of them showed the color correctly. You will just have to take my word for it that the striped fabric is more of a grey blue, not the bright blue in the picture! Click here if you would like to have the pattern. Now I must go and pick out fabric for another pattern. I think I will do the bag that May Britt has put up as her Stitcher’s Angel offering. It is so cute! I hope I can do the pattern justice. You can find the pattern here.