My hat, I should eat...maybe.

So, remember all the way back to my Bloglovin' post?  The one where I wasn't excited about figuring out how it all works?  Thanks to Catherine at Bramblewood Stitches  I muddled thru and claimed my name.  But, the real kicker was when Barb told me there was an ipad app.  When I travel I just take my ipad.  I will be gone for almost 3 weeks this summer and blog reading using the ipad isn't always easy.  So, I downloaded the *free* Bloglovin app and have been thrilled ever since.  I've slowly been adding all my favorite blogs and even a couple new ones.  You can select a category and search thru the list of blogs for blogs that look interesting.  I spent a couple hours doing that last night.  Low and behold, I found a few of you on there and could add you to my list without using the search option I have since used to add blogs from my favorites list. 

Here's a bit of news for you all....every one of you have Bloglovin followers already!!  Isn't that cool?  So, really, you should log on, create an account, claim your blog and have fun.  (You can still have fun if you don't have a blog or even if you don't claim your name.) 

Now, on to another bit of administrative business.  I'm figuring out how to add a signature to my pictures.  It's a real kick in the pants when you see one of your pictures on Pinterest without any credit what-so-ever!  I know I've put a few things on Pinterest without giving credit because I just wanted to keep them in mind.  Now I'm a wiser picture borrower and will try not to do that.

So, here are a couple pictures from my garden.  The first one cracked me up.  I saw this from in the house and wondered what the heck the birds were doing....putting a grass roof on, I guess. 

 

My absolute favorite flower is in bloom. 

 

 

I think the signature part needs work.  I will have to have my son help.  I'd like the background to be transparent but I can't figure out how to apply that effect. 

 

In the mean time....Have a great 4th of July all you Americans. 

Out of season.

In early February I was on a kick to make some Valentine's Day projects. 

First, I dug this project out of my stash.  Bali Love Songs...a free pattern by Hoffman Fabrics using a Bali Pop strip set called Cherry.  Although, you could use any strip set I used the called for fabrics...both the strip set and the yardage.  I only just finished sewing the binding on last week. 

 

 

I found it hard to get a good picture that showed the richness of the batiks.  

 

I also finally quilted and bound this little cutie.  I bought the pattern and fabric in February...during the same urge to work on Valentine's Day projects.  It has been folded in half and...oops...the crease shows.  It would be nice to have enough wall space to hang everything but then again...who is cleaning a house that size?

 

The soft pinks were pretty and outside my usual color palette.  

 

The pattern is a This & That called Candy Hearts.  Originally I thought I'd add words to the hearts but then decided I liked how they looked. 

 

At this rate, maybe I'll have something patriotic to show around Halloween.

 

Happy Stitching.

Finished!!

Happy dances all around. 

I finished all of the Sam Sarah Advent pieces...early, no less.  Woot. 

 

Now, they are going to 'rest' for a month.  I have several projects that need to take top billing this month so I will put these aside for now.  I also need to figure out how I want to finish them and how I want to display them.  I have a couple ideas but need to think about it more.  It's possible I'll need to stitch a number in each box that will be on the back of each piece to help count down until Christmas.  Like I said...I need to think about it for a while. 

Happy Stitching.

As promised...a little something to post about.

I actually have a few things up my sleeve. 

Today I can show you a cute little finish.  I made it for a friend who lost a lot of her stitching in a house fire.  Since it's been received I can show everyone.

Smell My Feet by La D Da.  It's in Just Cross Stitch's Halloween Collection from the Fall of 2011.

 

I let the cording unravel a little.  I thought it looked like spider legs.  Nice and creepy for Halloween.
I wrapped it in the cute Halloween tissue paper you see in the background. 

Too bad I didn't stitch two at the same time so I could have one! 

Hope everyone is enjoying some summer sunshine.  It's mostly rainy in my neck of the woods.  I like rainy, but enough already.  I'm craving some sunshine.

I've got that Lovin' Feeling

So, here it is..... 

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3780377/?claim=hjp9vyuk4y8">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

I've claimed my blog.  Now, if you're switching to Bloglovin you can follow me too.

Happy Stitching...and I swear on my first born's head...I will post some finishes asap.

Could the blog train

be leaving without me?  Maybe.  The real questions is....if I don't use Google Reader, do I still have to 'claim' my blog name for other people to follow me using the new Bloglovin' reader?  I've half heartily looked around online but mostly only come up with things about how great Bloglovin' is supposed to be.  Since I've only ever used Blogger,  I will stick with it.  I really don't follow many blogs that actually post anymore so I'm not sure it matters to me.   

My kids are all off doing their summer jobs so maybe I'll get to spend more time creating wonderful things I can post about.  I've been in a real slump.  I'm sure everyone can relate. 

So, anyhow, about claiming my name.....anyone know?

My bad....

even I was surprised that I hadn't posted the first block that I finished on my Chick's Jubilee block of the month project.  Bet I put it away because some other project was screaming at me to move along.

Here are the first 2 blocks.  Pastels aren't my usual color pallet so it's fun working with them.   

 

I had a little oops with block 2.  I forgot that these patterns have to be reversed.  I do so many applique projects you'd think I'd know to check but I guess most of my patterns don't need to be reversed. 

 

 I must have done a better job of reading the instructions the first month because I got this one right.

Isn't she sweet?

My pattern notebook is now sporting this ugly and glaring note. 

You can see block 2 done in the current direction on the pattern picture.  Luckily it won't really effect the over all outcome but I don't want to continue making the same mistake. 

Happy stitching.