Finally Spring?

Judging by our weather forecast for the next week, it looks like Winter is finally conceding and giving way to Spring.  I think it's about 40 degrees here today and I can see that the snow is melting.  And it looks like we have temps for the next week in the upper 30's and lower 40's.  As much as I want it gone, it has to melt slowly or there will be terrible flooding, esp. by the rivers.

Scott and I looked for Robins today while driving around doing our errands but so luck yet! 

I have an update on my current purse project:

If you click on the photos, you can see a larger version.  I'm thinking this one needs a spider web since I haven't done one on anything recently so that will probably be my next addition.

Judy S asked me where I get my silkies, my fabric photos.  I actually don't buy silkies, I print them myself on Inkjet Fabric.  I have tons of CD's with vintage photos and other images on them and I collect vintage greeting cards and of course, there's always online sites like The Graphics Fairy.  I've found some of my images there. 

And this is the Inkjet Fabric that I use.  It's by Blumenthal Craft and available in fabric stores like JoAnn's:

It's a little pricy at about $12.99 for 5 sheets so if you shop at JoAnn's, make sure you have a 40 or 50% off coupon. 

In other news, mom gave me 2 more Easter Hanging Pillows to list in our Etsy shop:

It looks like mom is really getting the hang of Cottage style!

I'll leave you today with a photo of my little Cotton:

Yes, he looks all sweet and innocent with that white fur and precious little face but it's just a facade!  I think my Nightmare is teaching him bad things from Rainbow Bridge!  This little one is always into something!  He's very busy and is reminding me more and more of Nightmare.  Nightmare of course, had his name for a reason!

Mothers Day Brooches

Well, we got another 4 inches of snow this morning.  There's no place to put anymore!  I'm having trouble getting my car in and out of the driveway.  But, we're almost a week into March and it has to warm up and melt sooner or later.

I'm so looking forward to sitting out on my deck with some iced.  Just sitting and watching the birdies.

I have an update on my current crazy quilt purse project.  I think the photo is a little blurry.  But it's enough to see for now:

I used a few of the seam treatment patterns that I shared in yesterday's post:

I'll be adding more to this shortly.

I have a few new brooches to share today too:

I thought these would make nice Mother's Day Gifts.

Well, I guess I'll go stitch until Bubba gets home.  If I don't get offline now, I just keep complaining about the weather!  LOL!!!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that yes, my room will be pink!  But I'm sure you already figured that out!  

Free Crazy Quilt Seam Treatments

I started stitching on my latest purse project this morning.  Well, I have the lace and trim sewn on and one border stitched:

While looking through my 3 volumes of Elegant Crazy Quilt Seam Treatments, I was thinking it might be fun to create a few new charted borders.  The possibilities are endless really.  But I have no desire to do another volume of borders so I charted out a few designs and thought I would just offer them here for everyone to enjoy:

If you right click on the image, you can save this to your hard drive.  Then open the file in whatever graphic software you use and print it from there.

I think I just wanted a few new borders to play with even though many times, I make them up as I stitch.  Anyway, these are free for you to use on your crazy quilts!  I've been using 10 count waste canvas on my projects which gives me more delicate stitches.  3 strands of embroidery floss looks very nice but any thread works fine.

In other news, I've been thinking about my upcoming role as owner and publisher of Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine and I've been thinking that it's time for a few new things.  A fresh start so to speak. 

It's really time to update to a new computer system.  I'll need a new one for the larger files that I'll be working with.  This one is quite outdated with Win XP but thankfully, it still works.  I designed many, many counted cross stitch patterns on this machine but as many of you know, I retired from designing cross stitch a few years back.  It was a great experience but Crazy Quilting is truly my passion.

So to set myself up for my new and exciting endeavor, I plan to buy a new system later this Summer.  And to go with my new computer, it's time to repaint and redecorate my little 9 X 9 foot room!  I want to get a white corner desk instead of the one I have now that takes up an entire wall.  I'm thinking if I plan and organize right, I might be able to make myself a little corner for a comfy chair where I can sit with some tea and stitch.  Usually I stitch in the living room and that's fine but on occasion, (every Sunday) my husband likes to watch Nascar and football.  Now Nascar is okay with me.  The only thing I don't like about it is the noise.  But football.....I hate it!  What an obnoxious game!  And I'm not one of those "anti-sports" women.  I personally love Baseball!  (Counting the days till the Cubs opening game).  But honestly, I like peace and quiet.  In fact, I don't even need the sound on to know what's going on with a baseball game.  Why do men need so much noise? 

Anyway, I'm thinking it would be nice for me to have a little stitching corner in here.  And now I will ask you all for your guesses.  What color do ya'll think I plan to paint my room?  Come on, I know someone out there already knows!  This is an easy one!  LOL!!!!

Okay, before I ramble on any longer, I'm going to share a couple of new Easter Door Hangers that mom made:

Arent' they pretty?  I just love Easter!  Well, anything soft, pastel and springy!!!!

Okay, I'm off to stitch!  Enjoy those patterns everyone!

Isn't It Spring Yet?

It's been a long, cold, snowy Winter.  And I am so looking forward to not seeing any snow outside!  I know, I complain every year about the cold and the snow but it's really been a bad one this year.  I can't remember a Winter in my entire life that has been this cold for this long.  They're calling for 40 degrees over the weekend.  I do hope that it's the beginning of a warming trend.  The snow piles are so high here, it's hard to get out of driveways and parking lots!

My sister saw 7 Robins about 2 weeks ago in her yard but I've yet to see one.  But I keep my eyes open whenever I go now because one of these days, the Robins will be everywhere!  Of course with all the snow we've had this season, it'll be July before they can find any worms to eat!  LOL!!!!

I turned my computer on to blog yesterday and I had no DSL service.  I spent over an hour checking the filters on my phones and trying new phone lines to each phone and finally I realized it wasn't my DSL, it was that I didn't have a dial tone.   I then spent 1 1/2 hours on hold (on my cellphone) with the phone company only to have to go outside, in the cold with the snow melting off the roof and hitting me in the head, while I do a  test on their equipment!  I had no dial tone out there either so I had to call back again (another 1/2 hour on hold) to get a service guy out here.  Thankfully, it's fixed now.  But it's just crazy how much of my day was wasted when I could have been stitching!

Anyway, I finished up the stitching on one of my little cat dolls:

I have a few more of these to stitch on.  I'm doing a craft show in May and thought it would be nice to have a basket full of my cat dolls.  But I like to alternate small projects with larger projects so my next piece will be another purse:

I mounted this one on the frame this morning.  In a little while, I'll sit down with my stash and pull some lace and trim pieces for it.

And I'm thinking that sometime this week, I need a sewing day.  I need to piece some more projects to stitch on and I haven't put any miles on my treadle machine lately.  I so much love to sew on that machine.  I love my electric machine too but I use that one for finishing.  There's really nothing like sewing on an antique treadle!

And isn't it so beautiful to look at?  I just leave it open all the time because I love to look at it. 

Must See CQ Embellishments

I'm still bouncing off the walls here.  I've got a notebook started with my plans for my first issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine.  I have loads of great ideas already!  And I certainly welcome any and all suggestions so please send them my way!

I've been stitching on a cat doll but didn't get too far on it yet so I'll wait on photos of that.

For now, I'm going to send you over to Kathy Shaw's blog.  She's offering an online Crazy Quilt Class for beginners which would be perfect for anyone who as never done CQ.

Also, Kathy has posted the cutest little Cabochon Turtle embellishments!

There is a link for where you can purchase these!!  I may have to get one or two.  I love them!!!!