Free Christmas Ornament Pattern

I haven't been very chatty lately.  Due to my current circumstances, I'm just keeping myself busy.

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought you would enjoy this free cross stitch ornament pattern:

It's a quick stitch project that can be used as ornaments or, if you're a crazy quilter, you can do something similar to this project:

I made this for my cousin over the Summer.  The cross stitch piece is worked on 14 Aida and appliqued to the crazy quilt block with fusible web.

The little bird on a snowflake would make a really pretty Crazy Quilt Winter pillow!!

Click here to download more of my Free Cross Stitch Patterns!

Halloween Crazy Quilt Pillow

It's a little challenging to do crazy quilting where I am at the moment.  I just don't have the space to spread out.  Despite the challenge, I've been wanting to make something happy for my cousin Kim.  She too has had her share of stress these last few years.

Kim loves Halloween so I started out my making a small cross stitch Halloween piece.  The design is by The Prairie Schooler and I think it's from a few years back.  Anyway, I pieced a 9 inch block in happy orange colors and appliqued the cross stitch piece on.

This is the finished block:

I finished this into a pillow and added some hand crocheted trim around the outside of it:

Kim loves this!!!!

I'm looking forward to the day that I have my own place and the space to spread out and do my CQ work comfortably.  For now, I've been doing some small cross stitch projects like this one:

This is not one of my designs.  It's from an early 1990's cross stitch calendar by Leisure Arts.  It's been on my "to do" list for many years.  My plan for this piece is to work some crazy quilt borders for the sides and then sew it into a pillow.  But for now I have to wait. 

I'll just keep on stitching!

Irish Lady Pillow

After running a few errands yesterday, I finished up my Irish Lady Pillow:

I've already listed this in the Boutique in case anyone would like to take her home.

It didn't take me too long to do the finishing on this.  The biggest setback is that my cats just love to lay on my sewing machine while I try to sew!  And they love to lay on the cutting board too!  My husband knows that if he needs to find Nightmare, just look under my feet or in my face!  LOL!

Anyway, when I finished that up, I started this sweet little embroidered Pot Of Gold:

The design is from my collection of vintage embroidery iron on transfer patterns.  I've been collecting them for years and years and I still enjoy using them.  As you can see, I crayon tinted it before stitching.  All it needs now is just a few beads.  This will be a hanging pillow and since I only have about 5 more minutes of working on it, I'll sew it together today.

Yes, today will be a much needed "stay at home day"!  I will be running my treadle machine and sewing up a few new crazy quilt blocks.  And then I'll be stitching.  Here's is my next crazy quilt project.  This will be a purse:

Before I head out to stitch, I wanted to mention that I stopped in the new Hobby Lobby here in McHenry Illinois today.  What a beautiful store!  Slightly smaller than the Hobby Lobby in Crystal Lake but nice and bright, so neat and clean and lots of great craft supplies!  If you live in the McHenry area, do stop in and check it out!  It's on Rt. 31 next to the Hallmark store!

New Creations

Some new finishes:

Everything was made by Mom except for the Santa Brooches which I did.  Polymer Clay meets hand Needle Felting!