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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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:

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!

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!

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.

Happy Thanksgiving

With all that I have read and with all that I have experienced in my own life using The Secret, the power of gratitude stands above everything else. Rhonda Byrne - The Secret

I just wanted to take a breather here before my company comes to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and to say thanks for reading my blog! I hope you are all inspired by my stitching and my chatter about self-expression & the nature of reality.

Cat Dolls

I had an order for 8 custom Glitter Cards so I spent my weekend working on those. I also added a few new ones here. I love making them but I still have glitter from one end of my house to the other!





My next projects will be a couple of my little cat dolls for Christmas Gifts:



I hope to start on this later today. I have a ton of these cat dolls sewn up and I know I can't stitch all of them so I'll be putting some together with some vintage lace and packaging them up for my Etsy shop. That's on my list for tomorrow.

Finished Cellphone Pouches

Just a quick update for today. I finished up these cellphone pouches this afternoon:





I still have to add the snaps and the chains but other than that, they're finished.

Asian Inspired Cellphone Pouch

A quick update on my current project:



This is a custom order for an Asian themed cellphone pouch. I have the seams covered now so I'll start beading on it later today. The seams are all worked with my own charted borders. I have a floral spray pin for the center.

Tomorrow, I'll share a "Random Act Of Kindness" gift that I received and some glittered Artist's Trading Cards that I made last week. And of course, I'll have an update on this project.

I'm off now to help my husband clean up the leaves from our maple tree. I'd rather be stitching!

Ladybug Purse Completed

Well, I think I'm finally over that nasty chest cold I had! All that's left is a hacking cough which I can live without!

I finished up my Ladybug purse:



It may be a little while before I can get this sewn up. Suddenly, WalMart no longer carries purse handles and Michaels doesn't carry the type I like. So I'm going to have to get to JoAnn's for them and my JoAnn's is almost an hour from here. I plan to stock up on purse handles! I like the kind with the little hooks on the ends that can be slipped into tabs after the purse is finished.

In the meantime, I have an order for a custom cellphone pouch:



I'll start on this later today.

Ladybug Purse and more Glitter Cards

Ladies, this cold I have is getting on my nerves! I'm going to keep this one short again and just post the photos of my latest cards and an update on my Ladybug purse:













Made by me







Made by my mom

All cards can be found in my Etsy shop.

Finally for today, an update on my Ladybug purse:



I plan to do some sewing tomorrow. I have an order for a custom cellphone pouch. It's a Christmas gift so I want to get started on that asap. I also thought I would sew up a few crazyquilt blocks for my Etsy shop. I have plenty of blocks sewn to stitch on but I'm really feeling like running that treadle machine!

Ladybug Purse Update

Another quick little post for today ladies. I'm still dealing with this annoying chest cold!



Other than doing some laundry, I've spent most of today stitching on this. The seams are stitched and I've since started beading on it. I'll have another update for you tomorrow along with an "illuminating" message. I hope!

Book Review - "Crazy As A Bed-Quilt"

A friend of mine recently told me of a new crazy quilt book and of course, I had to have to it for my collection. It's called, "Quilting News Of Yesteryear" - "Crazy As A Bed-Quilt" by Sue Reich:



This charming little book contains over 200 newspaper articles on crazy-quilting dating from 1880 to 1945.

I'm about 1/2 through the book and am fascinated with the attitudes and perspectives of the times. Crazy quilting was quite the "craze" when the fad first took off. In this book, you'll learn about the obsession that crazy-quilting became. It was described as "making everyone crazy", not just the stitcher! Too funny!

Anyway, there are poems, stories, interviews, advertisments and more. A charming addition to your crazy quilt book collection.

My only disappointment is in the photographs. The photos are closeups of the stitches rather than full size quilts. The author explains the reason for this in the beginning of the book. Please don't let that discourage you from ordering however. It really is a fun journey through eyes of those who experienced the crazy fad! The book can be found at Amazon.com.

I did see some nice stitch combinations in the photographs and charted one out to try. I thought I would share it with you:



Click on the image to go to my Flickr site where you can download the larger version.

If you're new to my blog, my charted borders are worked with a product called "Waste Canvas". I use this to create perfectly sized and spaced stitches on my own crazy quilts. The directions for working with waste canvas are available in my own book along with 81 charted borders:



It is available in my Etsy shop.

Lime Green Ladybug Purse

Another quick post for today as I have company coming shortly. I started a new purse yesterday:



The ladybug is one of my designs. Kim stitched that up for me awhile back and then I worked it into the block.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.