Watermelon Cellphone Pouch

After taking some new things up to my showcase at the brick & mortar store yesterday, I finished this little watermelon cellphone pouch:



I didn't quite get it straight on the scanner but you'll see it again when I get the finishing done on it.

The watermelon was a little beaded pin worked on perforated paper that I made a few years ago. It was one of those Mill Hill kits. I literally made dozens and dozens of them. Many were gifts but I kept a few for myself which I never wear so I thought I'd start using them on my crazyquilts.

This isn't quite as wild as I thought it would be but it's still fun and funky!

My next project will be this "Lucky Lady Cellphone Pouch":



I feel like doing something with a St. Patrick's Day theme. I thought a little something Springy would be nice to stitch on. It might help me believe that Spring is only a few weeks away. It's a little hard to do with this terrible cold spell we've been under.

After this, I'll be doing another purse. The block is sewn up and ready to stitch. In fact, I just bought some beaded purse handles for it at Michaels this morning.

TAST - Algerian Eye

AKA - Eyelet stitch. This has always been one of my favorite stitches. I can do it for hours on end but until now, I've never used it on a crazyquilt piece. It has shown up many times in my charted work though:



I think now that it's been brought to my attention, I'll be using it more in CQ's. What I've done here is nothing new or unusual but the Algerian Eye is another suitable stitch for waste canvas so I've charted out my seam treatment for you in case you would like to try this:



Click on either image to go to my Flickr site where you can download the large version of the pattern.

So onto my crazy watermelon piece! I wanted to mention the large white flower beads. Those are carved Mother Of Pearl beads! I bought a little pack of them at the bead store in Galena the last time we were there. I wish I had bought more! We're planning on going again, at least for a day in March so I hope they still have some.

My feather stitch is a little different than what I normally do and I'm not sure if I like it or not. If anyone likes it and wants me to chart it out, please let me know.

I still have more embellishing to do on this and I hope to add the watermelon pin later today so stop by tomorrow to see another update.

Why I Accomplish So Much

First, I'm running a bit late again. That's because I usually go grocery shopping on Thursday mornings. It was slow start today as I had to force myself to venture out. When I left, the temp was -3 degrees. And ya'll know how I feel about that!

I'll start off with my completed Cherub Pouch:



I really didn't have much stitching left on it. I tried it keep it very pastel, almost washed out looking. I like it, but I'm glad to be moving onto something with more color in it.

Like this one:



Betcha can't guess the theme is for this! Ha, ha, ha!! Yes, it's a bit out there. But that's what I like about crazyquilting. It can be traditional or contemporary, Victorian or funky! In this case, it's quite wild & funky! But I like it. A nice change from what I've been doing.

This will be a gift for Scott's step-mom. We'll be seeing her next weekend and I want to take a little something for her. I don't think she reads my blog. Anyway, I have a beaded watermelon pin that I made a few years back and never wear so I thought I'd use that in the center. I'll be starting on this a little later this afternoon. I'm quite excited about seeing where the stitching goes on this!

I want to answer a few questions that I received in yesterdays comments. The first was from Patternnut. She would like to know where to find my new leaflets that I posted about yesterday.

Those should be available in all specialty needlework shops but if you don't have one near by, you can try Joann at 123stitch. Click here for the link.

Gail then asked me how I manage to get so much done. Well, my husband works near the city and is gone from 6 in the morning until 6 at night. We don't have children so it's just us and our 4 little cats.

I'm not one to cook much. Actually, I don't cook at all. Anything that requires the oven or the grill is my husband's job. Ha, ha, ha!!! Honestly, we eat alot of salad and fruit and that doesn't require much preparation, nor alot of clean up. We don't eat sugar so I don't bake. Other than taking care of my cats, the house and laundry, all I really have to do (this time of year) is design cross stitch, do my CQ's and sew. Once Spring comes, I'll be outside working in the yard here and there and although I like a bit of gardening, it's not what I live for so I keep it nice, I keep it weeded and watered, but I don't go insane over it.

I guess that's how I get so much done. I've always been good at setting goals and sticking to them and that probably helps too.

More Finishes

I was quite busy again yesterday, doing some more machine and hand finishing. The 2nd Blackwork Cellphone Pouch is complete with hand-beading all the way around:



This is all packed up and ready for it's new owner.

My next finish is the little Pink Seascape Cellphone Pouch:



All that's left to do on this is add the chain which I'm out of at the moment. I'll pick some more up tomorrow when I go into town. I added some beaded fringe to the bottom and some sparkly sequined trim. If anyone wants this one, just drop me an email. I'm planning on taking this up to my Showcase at the brick & mortar store on Friday.

My next finish is this little embroidered and crayon tinted bunny which I stitched back at Thanksgiving:



My crayon tinted doorknockers do quite well at my showcase so I thought I'd get this one ready to take up with me on Friday. Again, if anyone wants this, just drop me an email.

If you would like to stitch this design (it's one of mine) you can find the pattern here on my Flickr site.

Finally, when all finishing was complete, I had a bit of time left to do some more stitching on this:



I didn't get real far but I expect to have some stitching time later today.

For now, I have to run to the Post Office and then I plan to sew up a few more blocks. I like having a whole stack of things ready to stitch on!

New Crazy Quilt Kits With Hand-Painted Pansies

Would you like to try Victorian Crazyquilting but perhaps you aren't sure how to do the piecing or maybe you don't have access to fancy fabrics?

I've put together several 9 inch "ready to stitch" crazyquilt blocks along with some lace, trim, beads and a butterfly charm. I've handpainted the pansy on white China Silk with permanent fabric paint and heat-set it.







Add your own threads and other embellishments to make a one-of-a-kind Victorian style Crazyquilt, then frame or finish into a pillow or purse.

A beautiful gift for you or a friend!

These are now available in my Etsy shop.