Makin' Stuff

It is so nice to be making a mess in my sewing room again after such a long time. Thank you for all your sweet comments and well wishes. One of the things I'm told often is how this little blog is a quiet stop on your regular walks around the web and that you worry when I'm not here. I worry when I'm not here, too! This is one of my happy places and I miss it when I can't be here. Thanks for being patient with me. We're back!

And we're makin' stuff. Nothing amazing. Just little things I use in my stitching. Remember those beautiful Czech glass beads I was going on about in this post? I finally got a few maids-of-all-work made (link to those in that post) and also some lemony counting pins and a lemon slice needle minder. Very summery.

Speaking of needle minders, I haven't made any in a long time. While I was digging around in my finishing stash I ran across some pictures I had saved from the envelopes that Lang calendars come in. On the back of the envelope, all the months of the year are shown in very small pictures. I saved them thinking they might make pretty needle minders. I also got out my 1" round punch, some 1" wooden disks, some Diamond Glaze, and some magnets. 

Pretty new needle minders for summer!

The Diamond Glaze gives them a nice, shiny finish.

This one reminds me a little of sweet Tiger Lily.

I'm also elbow-deep in finishing and will have some things to share soon... it's extremely Christmassy in the sewing room!

Happy Stitching!

Saturday Sampler: Summer Of... Edition

 

Y'all.

Okay, nevermind. Let's just look at pictures first. Then we'll talk about the train wreck I have been.

I am ever so proud to share some little framing projects! Y'all have no idea (well, you might in a few minutes) what an accomplishment these are for me. Cookies for everyone in celebration! 

A couple of additions to my beautiful bird collection: American Kestrel by Crossed Wing Collection (28 ct. PTP Eek) and First Snow by Sprouting Lupine (28 ct. Twilight Mist Jobelan). 

And a couple more wee projects: Pansy Petals by Just Nan (32 ct. Weeks Lilac) and a baby fox from an Etsy shop that no longer exists (32 ct. Murano Fleur).

Back in 2020 I started my "Summer of..." tradition where I choose a theme and spend the summer working on it. I think I've only missed one year.

2020: Summer of Halloween

2021: Summer of the WIP

2022: Summer of Me (emotional repair work during an extremely tough year)

2023: *frantically working on big 10th annual Christmas Open House*

2024: Summer Birds

Sooo... I've been staring--with a mixture of longing and frustration--at an embarrassingly large pile of finishing and framing work. Back in the early spring, I dragged it all out, arranged it by category, photographed it (for reference during shopping trips), and fully intended to tackle it without delay. And then we had a bereavement in mid-March that leveled us. Immediately after the funeral I got sick and was down for a month. 

I think this is where we left off last time.

Ten days after my last post, I got food poisoning and when I tell you it absolutely destroyed my system... y'all. I have been sick more in the last few months than I have been in the last ten years. Food poisoning. Come ON. So I had to struggle back from that for a while. Then I had to re-catch-up on the stuff I didn't get done around the house. 

Needless to say, absolutely zero sewing room playtime has happened and almost zero stitching. Since I have been going bonkers looking at that finishing pile, I decided this year is my Summer of Finishing. I'm almost afraid to type this because Every Single Time I do this something goes pear-shaped and I don't get anything done, but... there it is.

2025: Summer of Finishing. 

These 4 little framed projects are my start. How far will I get? Who knows? Am I worried about it? Nope. Did I thoroughly enjoy a few hours working away in my sewing room? Yep. Am I happy to have something to share with y'all? Always.

Someone smart once said, "You don't have to be perfect, you just have to start." And start I did. Wish me luck!

Before I get back to work, here are some werewolf pics. 

Bonus bunny pic

I apologize for being gone so long. Thank you for sticking with me, and to those who checked on me, through comments and email. It's been one of those seasons.

Hope to be back soon with more finishes.