Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sewing Machine Lady Purse
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix
A bit more embroidery on my latest purse project:
I will be painting those appliqués, I'm just holding off until I have the seams stitched up.
When I finish up on this project, I'm thinking of doing another Comfort Doll or two for the Comfort Doll Project. I haven't sent any to Pat in quite awhile. Maybe not cats since I just did 2 for Christmas. Perhaps something from my collection of vintage iron-on transfers. Oh, if you could see my transfer collection! I'll be sharing a few of those patterns when I have them out.
In the meantime, here are pages 7 & 8 of my 1936 Herrschner's Catalog:
Check out those adorable vintage aprons! Well, they weren't vintage back then but aren't they something? I would so wear those!
Well, I'm hoping to get to JoAnn's tomorrow for some purse handles. I have 4 purses that need finishing and I can't find a purse handle in McHenry to save my life! I also want to get that Christmas tree down tomorrow as well. I can only take so much Christmas and I've had enough now.
Finally for today, I've added a few more links to the shopping list in my sidebar. Some cool online places for stitching and embellishment supplies.
Enjoy!Labels: crazy quilting
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 3:36 PM
0 comments
Monday, December 29, 2008
New Purse
Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.
I've started on another purse. As you know, I have an antique Singer Treadle Sewing Machine and I've always been taken with this photo because of that:
I started on it yesterday but didn't get very far!
Here are pages 5 & 6 of the 1936 Herrschner's catalog:
I have a new reader who asked me about Block # 31. Phyllis, all the blocks are for a quilt and they showcase my vast collection of buttons. They are 6 inches square blocks and I'm planning on about 100 of them. I expect it be a large quilt! Unless I get tired of working on them. Anyway, if you would like to see the blocks I've done so far, click here.
Finally for today, I thought I'd change things in my sidebar now and then. I've added some links to some nice shopping sites where you can find do-dads for embroidery & crazy quilting.
Enjoy!Labels: crazy quilting
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 10:27 AM
2 comments
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Button Block #31 Completed
Just a quick update for today everyone. I finished up Block #31:
And here is pages 3 & 4 of my 1936 Herrschner's catalog:
There are some really neat things in this catalog!
Enjoy!Labels: crazy quilting
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 8:52 AM
4 comments
Friday, December 26, 2008
1936 Herrschner's Catalog
Peace is its own reward. Mahatma Gandhi
I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. I have no feelings of regret when I say that I'm glad it's over. Although, I am still enjoying my pretty tree.
Since I don't have any stitching to share with you today, and I'm still a little tired (I don't feel like writing too much) I thought I would start sharing my 1936 Herrschner's catalog with you:
To see the larger versions, click on the images to go to my Flickr site. I'll store these in a set over there and leave it there permanently.
I also have a Bucilla catalog to share when we're done with this one and I'll be posting a few of my vintage iron-on transfers designs in the coming year as well.
That's it for now everyone. Enjoy!Labels: embroidery
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 10:27 AM
1 comments
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wishing You Peace This Christmas
When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others. Peace Pilgrim
Just a quick update on Button Block #31:
I was able to use my Peacock button after all!
I hope everyone has a Happy Holiday.
Labels: button quilt, crazy quilting
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 7:41 AM
3 comments
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Rose Purse Completed
Peace is not something you wish for; It's something you make, something you do, something are and something you give away. Robert Fulghum
It's snowing again here. What a surprise! We were wide awake at 3:30 this morning so I took advantage of my extra time and finished up on my Pink Rose Purse:
This will be a lovely purse to carry in February! It has a "Valentine's Day" feel without screaming Valentine's Day. I can certainly use this in the Spring and Summer as well.
Robert Fulghum said, that peace is something you make, something you do, something you are and something you give away. I couldn't find a more perfect description of what stitching is to me than that! I'm sure that applies to many of my readers as well! It's a reflection of the inner peace that lies within all of us, hidden sometimes by the chaos in our own minds, but always there never the less.
My next project will be Button Block #31:
I have a Czech glass Bird Of Paradise button that might work on this one. I haven't pulled it out to see if it'll work but I have plenty of other buttons that I can use as a focal point in case that one doesn't work.
I had a reader ask me if I had the pattern for this stitched piece which I did a few years back:
And a second version in different colors:
Yes, I do have the pattern. It took me awhile to find it. My collection of vintage embroidery transfers is quite large! Anyway, here's the pattern:
Click on the image to go to my Flickr site where you can download the large version.
In other news, I have a really great treat for my readers coming in January. While looking through my transfers, I came across my original 1936 Herrschner's catalog! This catalog is amazing so starting in January (which is so boring we all need a treat to get through it), I will start scanning it and post a page a day. It's really fun to look at! And, when I finish posting that catalog, I have a 1926 Bucilla catalog that I will share as well!
Ok, I'm off to stitch and be peace!
Labels: button quilt, crazy quilting, inner peace, self expression, vintage embroidery patterns
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 11:06 AM
7 comments
Monday, December 22, 2008
Beading On The Rose Purse
" There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else."
~ Peyton Conway March
To continue with my discussion from yesterday, I hope that my readers are enjoying my enlightening blog posts. Peyton Conway March said, that happiness, freedom and peace of mind can be attained by giving them to someone else. The Dalai Lama said the same thing as did Deepak Chopra.
I've always felt that sharing photos of my stitching here on my blog was a way of sharing the beauty of my artistic creativity with others.
Michelle left a comment for me in my blog post of December 19th. She had only recently found my blog and was taken with my stitching. Michelle had a rather emotional response to my cat dolls.
Here is what she said, "There is a beauty and peace in your creations that reaches beyond fabric, bead and button, something in your work and designs that can touch the soul. I truly believe that you are, in essence, creating exactly what you seek: Peace."
I have always found that stitching puts me in a light meditative state. It quiets my mind. And I'm sure that's what it does for most stitcher's and crafter's. When our minds are quiet, our connection to Source is more open. It's the Inner Peace, a feeling of being connected to Source, that we crave. We are always connected to Source, but sometimes, we pinch ourselves off with the chaos of everyday life. When we are creating these objects of beauty, we are allowing the stream of consciousness to flow through us. Inspiration which comes from the Universal Mind, flows more freely. Yes, it filters through our personalities, our preferences and our experiences but those things are on the surface. What really comes through is the beauty of our inner beings and that is the beauty of Source energy. The part of the Universal Mind that lies within all of us. When we feel that connection to the Universal Mind, we feel peaceful.
I'll leave you today with an update on my Pink Rose Purse which I started beading on last night:
For those of you who are enjoying my "Elegant Crazy Quilt Seam Treatment" book (yes, I'm plugging my book again!), here is a new little charted border for you to try.
Click on the image to go to my Flickr site where you can download the larger version.
Enjoy!
Labels: crazy quilting, elegant crazy quilt seam treatments, inner peace, self expression
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 11:57 AM
2 comments
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Pink Rose Purse Continued....
If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another. Dalai Lama
First, I would like to take a moment to thank my readers who have taken the time to leave comments for me here as well as in my email.
When I first decided to include enlightening discussions regarding artistic self-expression along with my stitching projects, I wasn't sure how my readers would react to it. I wanted my blog to be more than just showing off my stitching. I know my readers have always been inspired by my creative abilities but I wanted to offer more. Insight as to what's behind artistic expression, where it comes from and what it means. My husband told me that I would probably lose a few readers but perhaps gain a few new ones and I decided that was a chance I had to take and that it was absolutely ok.
Since retiring from cross stitch designing, I feel more free to be myself. I always felt that I had to hide behind the facade of professionalism and although that was ok at the time, I can be me now.
Over 20 years ago, through a series of circumstances which turned out to be not so coincidental, because I was able to trace the events back to my own thoughts and feelings,
I discovered that we create our own reality with our thoughts, feelings and beliefs. At the time, I didn't really understand "how", I just knew that we did. I have spent these last 20 years studying everything on the nature of reality that I could get my hands on and have found that the answers in my books are the answers I was searching for my entire life. Sometimes the answers come before we even realize that we had a question! There's a reason for that too and I'll explain that come January.
Anyway, it's not at all my intention to shove my beliefs down anyone's throat. So many times over the past 20 years however, I wished I knew earlier in my life what I know now. The only point in suffering is to learn how not to. If I can inspire, enlighten or help one reader find some peace and understanding, then my blog is worth every word I type.
Underneath our personalities, our preferences, our behavior patterns and our physical bodies, we are all exactly the same and all complete and all totally needed. We are each like a jigsaw puzzle piece. All necessary to create the whole, big, beautiful picture that is the Universe. Deep down, we all seek the same things, love, joy, beauty and inner peace and all are found within ourselves.
The Dalai Lama said, that if we wish to find peace, provide peace for another. My knowledge of the nature of reality confirms that. Whatever we wish to have more of, give that to another. Yes, my life long search has been for inner peace. Until recently, I have always looked for that outside of myself. I've always tried to control my outer world. That's why I hate Winter so much. I can't control it. It's there to teach me and everyone else who dislikes it, that peace lies within. When I find peace within myself, I will have my Winter house in Florida.
Well, onto my current stitching project:
I wanted my readers to see this before I start beading it. The wind is terrible here today again so we were wide awake at 3:00. I decided to take advantage of waking up early and as you can see, I have all the seams covered now. I'll start beading it shortly.
In other news, my monster maple tree is more than 1/2 down. Of course, the weather hasn't cooperated with us today and I would never expect my tree man to come on such a cold and windy day. Thankfully, yesterday, he was able to get everything down that overhung the house. Being that it's so windy today, yes that does give me a sense of relief!
Ok, I'm off to stitch after folding another load of laundry! Find peace within yourself everyone and you will have peace in your outer world as well. And honestly, you don't have to search for it. It's already there.
Labels: crazy quilting, inner peace, self expression
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 12:33 PM
4 comments
Friday, December 19, 2008
Pink Rose Purse
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. Buddha
I had some stitching time this morning. Actually, I had a lot of stitching time! I was wide awake at 4:00. I knew we were getting dumped on with snow and I couldn't sleep anymore. Getting up early like that doesn't bother me. Come January, I'm so tired and cold and bored by 7:30 at night that I go to bed and then I'm wide awake at 3:00!
Anyway, I'll spare you the snow pictures as I know much of the U.S. is getting some sort of nuisance weather today. No one will ever convince me that snow is pretty. Well, an inch of snow is pretty. 10 inches of snow is just a pain in the butt!
Here's a photo of my stitching so far on my rose purse:
That border on the bottom right took quite awhile with all the cross stitches! I expect to have some time later to stitch on this a little more.
At the moment, I'm baking cookies. I mixed up 5 batches earlier and I'm baking them, one batch after another. All are drop cookies except for the Gingerbread which I'm going to try doing as drop cookies because I don't feel like messing with cookie cutters. I usually use a kitty cutter to do Gingerbread. I'm sure that's a big surprise to my readers! Ha, ha, ha!
Despite the snow, I'm feeling a little better today. When Buddha said, "Peace comes from within" he was right. We can't find it outside of ourselves. A good way to find peace within is to release resistance. Basically, "resistance" is thoughts and feelings of what we don't want. Fear & anxiety are natural for most people in times of weirdness. It's best though, to release them as soon as possible. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) are a good way to release any thought or feeling when it arises. I learned this technique from a book called, "The Sedona Method" by Hale Dwoskin.
For me, I had to wait until things settled down a bit before I could start to release my anxiety. I tried doing it right away but my head was too crazy. Now that things are fixed, it's easier to release the situation. If you would like to have more peace and less stress, head over to Hale's website and check it out. There are literally dozens and dozens of EFT's. I've found several that work better for me than others.
Ok, I'm off to check on my cookies!Labels: crazy quilting, inner peace, inspiration
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 2:27 PM
2 comments
Thursday, December 18, 2008
My Christmas Tree
“There is no way to peace, peace is the way.” A. J. Muste
I wish I had some pretty stitching to share with you today but I'm still a bit freaked out and overwhelmed regarding the branch hitting my house over the weekend. I'm sure things will begin to settle down now.
I've been searching for a feeling of inner peace but I'll admit, it's eluded me for a few days. And as you know, Winter weather gets to me and we have a doozy of a storm coming. I've found myself thinking thoughts of Spring all morning. Daffodils, tulips, Easter eggs and bunnies continue to float in and out of my awareness. It's a coping skill I guess and I'm well aware of the fact that I am not in the present moment which is where all of our power is. I'll get into that concept more in January.
For now, I will share with you a photo of our Christmas tree:
It's not a great photo as the sun is out and there's snow on the ground so the tree looks dark. Believe me, I have no complaints about the sun being out!
Anyway, this is the first year in over 10 that I've agreed to a tree much less a real tree. I do find a sense of peace in the beauty of a real Christmas tree and the lovely scent that permeates the house. Peace can usually be found in the most obscure places.
Labels: inner peace, inspiration
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 2:09 PM
5 comments
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Button Block #30 Completed
I finished up on Button Block #30 this morning:
This one really feels a bit crazy and insane to me but I'm sure it's because my head has been a bit crazy. On Sunday, while we were at the flea market, we had a branch come off our maple tree and hit our house. And I'm not talking a stick. The damage was minimal compared to what it could have been and I won't go into everything that needed to be repaired but thankfully, the majority of the repairs have now been made. And needless to say, I have a tree man coming on Saturday to take that tree down.
This is an excellent (for lack of a better word) example of how we create our own reality. Scott and I have always feared that a branch would fall off that tree and hit the house but I never wanted to spend the $ on having it removed. Too many times, we let go of resistance when our backs are against a wall. And that's not the opportune time to let go of resistance.
The weather this time of year does not help my mood either and what little bit of Christmas spirit I had (and I did actually have some this year) is now just about gone. As far as I'm concerned, it can be Spring now. I've had my fill of snow, freezing rain, wind and cold.
To lift my mood, I decided to put the Button Quilt down for a bit and make myself a new purse:
The roses in the middle are the corner of a vintage hankie.
I have to run and get some groceries now before it starts snowing again. One of these days, I will have me a Winter house in Florida!Labels: button quilt, crazy quilting
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 12:22 PM
3 comments
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Button Block #29 Completed!
I finished up on this block Friday morning:
I love pink with green. One of my readers sent me the glittered shamrock charm but I can't for the life of me remember who. I like to give credit where credit is due so if whoever sent it to me will claim it, I will give credit in my next post.
This is Button Block #30:
I'm going to give this one a real Springy look. I'll stitch & embellish it with purples and greens. I have a little bunny button that I'll be using on it.
If you're new to reading my blog, these are 6 inch square crazy quilt blocks intended for a quilt called "The Button Quilt". There will be at least 100 blocks but I'm leaning more towards doing 120 all together. If you would like to see the ones I've done so far, click here.
We're off to an antique flea market now. Thank goodness it's all indoors!Labels: button quilt, crazy quilting
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 7:08 AM
4 comments
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Cat Doll Finishes & Update On Button Block #29
Just a quick update on Button Block #29:
I expect to stitch on this some more later. I'd like to wrap a few more gifts first though and heaven knows, laundry is a never ending project! Anyway, the shamrock button is Czech glass. I found it on Ebay earlier this year. It's gorgeous in person! I'm thinking this needs a spider web in that bottom left-hand corner.
I also finished up these little cat dolls which are Christmas gifts:
Aren't these just too sweet? I have to make a few for myself. I can see a bunch of these little cats sitting in a basket. Perhaps in the sunroom in my new house!
If anyone would like to make one of these little cat dolls, there are still a few pre-sewn cats over in my Etsy shop. Some lace & finishing instructions are included.
I'm off to fold laundry and wrap gifts!Labels: crazy quilting, crazyquilt cat dolls
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 9:47 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Button Block #29
As most of my long time readers know, I have a tendency to let Winter weather get under my skin. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't cold and it didn't snow! Anyway, I'm not feeling very chatty today so I'll just share an update with you on Button Block #29:
I have a beautiful Czech glass shamrock button that I'll be adding to that upper left-hand corner.
I'm going to go and wrap a few gifts and then I'll get back to stitching on this.Labels: button quilt, crazy quilting
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 11:48 AM
1 comments
Monday, December 08, 2008
Button Block #28 Completed
After agreeing to get a Christmas tree yesterday and putting it up, I stitched on Button Block #28 and completed it:
Since this Button Quilt will have at least 100 blocks, I'll probably do a few more "fish under the sea" themed blocks.
My husband took a few days off so today we'll be doing some Christmas shopping. I expect to have some stitching time later to work on Button Block #29:
Labels: button quilt, crazy quilting, elegant crazy quilt seam treatments
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 6:08 AM
3 comments
Friday, December 05, 2008
Another Charted Seam Treatment
I didn't get to do any stitching yesterday. I did some finishing on my sewing machine and still have the handwork to do. I also cleaned a few things out of the attic.
Anyway, for today, I'll offer you another new charted seam treatment for your crazyquilt projects:
Click on the image to go to my Flickr site where you can download the large version. Directions for working with waste canvas can be found here.
I'm off to my mom's house to make some more Glitter Cards!Labels: crazy quilting, elegant crazy quilt seam treatments
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 9:26 AM
2 comments
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Button Block #27 Completed
I finished up on Button Block #27 this morning:
Later today, I'll start on Button Block #28:
I also worked up a few new charted borders:
Click on the image to go to my Flickr site where you can download the large version. These charted borders are for working the seams with Waste Canvas. To learn more about the technique, check out my book.
Be sure to keep your eye here on my blog as I'll be adding a few additional borders over the next few days.
If you would like to see all of the Button Blocks that I've done so far, click here. There will be at least 100 Button Blocks in this quilt if not more!Labels: button quilt, crazy quilting, elegant crazy quilt seam treatments
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 11:00 AM
3 comments
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Button Block #27
Just a quick update on my current button block:
As you can see, I have the seams covered now and I just filled my stitching basket with beads.
It's snowing here, again, so I'll be stitching on this for the rest of the day.Labels: button quilt, crazy quilting
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 1:48 PM
1 comments
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Cat Doll #2 & Vintage Rhinestone Buttons
For God to make love, for the divine alchemy to work, the pitcher needs a still cup.
Why ask Hafiz to say anything more about your most vital requirement? Hafiz - Sufi Poet
I spoke yesterday about peace being my theme for the month of December and how stitching can be a wonderful way to quiet the mind. I'm sure many of my readers have found themselves in a profound state of quietness while stitching. Anything that we love to do with help to put us in this peaceful place.
It happens for me when I'm stitching, sewing, making cards and baking cookies for my father. My husband finds himself in that place while he's working on his Model A.
The beautiful poem at the top of my post was written by Hafiz, a Sufi poet who lived in the early 1300's.
And what is the "still cup" that Hafiz says is needed? Ivan Granger described this way:
The cup is the individual awareness. Our minds must be profoundly still, unagitated, for God -- the "Pitcher" -- to pour the nectar of bliss into each of us as individual containers of the divine.
The more we can quiet our minds, the easier it is for us to go with the flow in all areas of our lives and the easier it is for us to have the beauty in our lives that we all seek. It's important to take the time to do the things we love. It's imperative that we take the time for ourselves. We may think that it only affects us individually but it truly affects the entire world and universe. If we want to see peace in our outer world, we have to find peace within ourselves first.
To read more beautiful poetry by Hafiz, click here.
I finished up cat doll #2 yesterday:
Sometime next week, I'll sew up these up and have photos for you of the completed dolls. In case anyone is interested in stitching one of these cat dolls, I have a few pre-sewn cats in my Etsy shop. You can also find my book there with directions for the charted seam treatments that I use.
Finally for today, I thought you would enjoy seeing these pretties:
I found these gorgeous vintage rhinestone buttons on Ebay. They are stunning in person and thank goodness there are 3 of each color! One for a purse, one for a button block and one to save for something really special!
Labels: crazy quilting, law of attraction, self expression
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 1:47 PM
3 comments
Monday, December 01, 2008
December Theme - Peace
Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it. Thomas Jefferson
You may have noticed that my general theme for November was GRATITUDE. Being thankful for what we have absolutely brings more abundance and joy into our lives.
For December, I have chosen PEACE as the topic of my general conversation.
So what exactly is Peace? So many of us want peace on earth. It's always the #1 prayer for Christmas and certainly a good and noble thought. Imagine if everyone on the planet suddenly started to get along, to compromise, to be kind to each other. To be kind to themselves.
I have to tell you though, simply praying for peace and expecting it to show up in our outer world is not going to happen. We have to feel it within ourselves first. Our outer world is a reflection of our inner world. Our thoughts & our feelings create our reality. Once we find peace within ourselves, peace & quiet, peace of mind, inner peace, once we find it within, we start to see it in our outer world.
To do this, we have to quiet our minds, open our hearts and relax our beings. We literally have to slow down and be quiet. We literally have to BE. That means, we have to stop "thought", stop "thinking".
A wonderful way to do this is through stitching. Stitching most definitely puts my mind in a meditative state. It's what my husband calls, "Being In The Zone". I get lost in it. I go with the flow. I tune everything else out. I stop thinking and I start feeling. I feel my way through my project. It's being in a state of high focus or high concentration where all the other mind chatter comes to a halt. It's a wonderful state to be in.
It's in this state that we find the silence. The stillness of our inner beings. A place of pure consciousness. That is where we find peace. It lies within our own vibration. Our own energy field.
If you follow this link, you'll find a beautiful little story about peace by Arun Gandhi.
I finished up my first little cat doll the other day:
This morning, I started on this one:
Both of these are little Christmas gifts.
Today is a cold, snowy, bluster day. The perfect to day to stitch. If I finish up on that 2nd cat, I'll be starting on this project next:
This will be Button Block #27. In case you're new to my blog, I've been working on 6 inch blocks displaying my vast collection of buttons. This quilt will consist of at least 100 blocks and it will hang in my new house. If you would like to see the blocks I've completed so far, click here.
Labels: button quilt, crazy quilting, inner peace, law of attraction, self expression
posted by Pam Kellogg @ 9:51 AM
3 comments
