A Finish And A Find

Some people come into our lives,

leave footprints on our hearts,

and we are never the same.

    I have enjoyed blogging and seeing all of your beautiful stitching projects. I never even thought of making my stitching into a pillow until seeing so many of yours. I have never been a quilter just a amateur sewer but decided to give it a try. I showed you earlier a small "Doodle" piece I made camping , now here it is my first pillow.

    I know it looks big, but the pillow minus the ruffle is 8x8. I made it with an opening in the back to slip out the pillow form I made. The second picture is without the pillow form, it also shows its more true color a mint green. I have several more "Doodle" kits that I think I will also make into pillows so I can use the same pillow form for each and will only have to pack away the pillow cover.

    Now my find for the day. I have also seen many of you find these old flower jars with tops with holes that you keep your scissors in. Well after a couple of second hand stores I didn't have any luck finding one of the vases, but for 50 cents I did find what I believe is a toothbrush holder that will some some of my treasures.

     I hate to tell you this but today it is in the 90's. I hope since it is not even April this is not a sign of a hot hot summer to come. If I had known it was going to be sandal weather so soon I would have gotten a pedicure.

    Don't forget you have until tonight to enter my give away.

Always keep love in your stitches,
Teresa

 

Across The Pond

Live today fully, expressing gratitude

for all you have been,

all you are right now,

and all you are becoming.

Melody Beatie

What a lovey surprise I received today from across the pond.



I won this beautiful pin pillow from "Tales of a Stitching Mouse".

Having my morning spot of tea will be so special with my

"A little tea if you please" pin pillow by my cup.

Thank you so much I just love it.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

Love The Fun Comments!

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die,

life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly."

Langston Hughes

    I have so enjoyed reading all the comments about what you do with your TUSAL. All around the world there must be some of the most colorful bird nests. It would be a delight to see one. After spreading your TUSAL and it becomes a beautiful nest I would love to see pictures of it. Catswhiskers saved a baby owl she named Bruna. The owl I understand nested on her TUSAL.

    OK maybe you have convinced me to start a jar full at the next full moon.

    The only thing I have been stitching is a Just Nan Easter Humbug. I think maybe this week I spent more time on line ordering than stitching. When it arrives I will share with you all. Here is my Humbug.

Here it is before it was sewed together.

It is hanging in the peach tree. Lots of blossoms this year. This little tree has the best peaches.

Now the bunny is peeking out from the orange tree.

     It is not too late to enter my give away. Just go back a post and enter. Thank you for all the wonderful comments. I have really enjoyed my first month of blogging.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

Celebration Give-Away

True friendships isn't measured by time,

but by the times shared.

Kelly Eillen Hake

    I am hosting a celebration give away. What am I celebrating you ask. Well today is my one month of blogging. It is also been one year since my husband retired and I can say I am still happily married.



This is my give away package. It will also include something sweet to be added right before shipping.

This is a homemade pin pillow with a small scissor fob.

I have included a pair of my favorite snips.

They can be taken anywhere including air travel.

Because I am new at blogging I am not sure of the meaning of some terms or why you do what you do. One term I cannot figure is TUSAL. Why do you save your thread scrapes in jars and stuff? What do you do with them?

The rules for my give away are simple.

1 point for being a follower - new or old

1 point for including your blog and posting it there

1 point for telling me if you save your TUSAL or not and why

Only leave one comment with all the above information. If you do not have a blog leave me your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. I will close the comments on Thursday night March 31st.

Thank you for making my first month of blogging so much fun!

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa



Rainy Day Surprise

Little Deeds of Kindness,

Little Deeds of Love,

Help to Make Earth Happy,

Like the Heaven Above.

J. Fletcher Carney

   What a wonderful rainy day surprise I received in the mail yesterday. It was one of those rainy gloomy Mondays were I just stayed in my warm pj's all day long. Pam who I met at the retreat last fall  has become my email pen pal. Last week  she said she was making gumbo, I asked if it was hard to do. So this sweet Alabama girl sends this California girl the recipe and spices for gumbo. She also sent me the most beautiful needle book. You should go to "Confessions of a Southern Stitcher" and tell Pam "Hi".

Being that her beautiful stitches and flowers form a heart makes this so special to me.

Because it was a rainy day I attempted to mount the bunny mat. I first went on line to find out how to do a blanket stitch. Don't you just love how you can find anything on the web. So after watching a few UTube videos I was off to blanket stitch. So here is my final project.

This is a cute little candle that I found at IKEA.

    Today I went to Wal-Mart to do some grocery shopping and I found some material. Next I will attempt to make my Stitch Time into a pillow.

Remember to always keep love in your stitches.

Teresa

My Camping Stitching

"It's not the hours you put in your work that counts,

it's the work you put in the hours."

Sam Ewing

I have returned home from a fun and very cold camping trip. We got home just in time for a big rain storm. With the cold weather I stayed in the trailer more and did lots of stitching.

This is Prairie Grove Peddler, Little Candle Mats - Bunnies. The pattern called for 2 bunnies to be blue,1 pink and 1 lavender. That just seemed off to me so I made one yellow. This is course made me change around the flower colors.

I now have to mount it on fabric. It called for a purple wool, but I am using a pick felt.

This is the pink fabric I won in a give away. It is a Doodles project that I want to make into a pillow. I have seen some cute pillows on other blogs so I will attempt one. This is a small scrap of material I already have, but will force myself to the fabric store to see what else is out there.

Check back towards the end of the week I am hosting my first give away.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

Packing up my "Traveling Bag"

Getting things accomplished isn't nearly as important as

taking time for love.

Janette Oke

    Well I am so excited to be packing up the "Travel Bag" and going camping for a few days. Of course the first thing to pack is what I will be cross stitching. Food and clothes is always a second thought.

This is my traveling bag. I rarely leave home with out it.

    The big pocket on the bottom is 13 inches long to fit just about any pattern. I sewed pockets on the flap to hold my glasses and scissor fob. There is a piece of felt sewed on for needles. I also made a matching ort container  that founds flat. The back of the bag is my cover picture. It fits me perfectly since I never leave home without it.

    I probably did a stitching no no. Because I do take it everywhere I scotch guarded the whole bag including my stitching.

    Right now in my bag is 3 Mill Hill spring pin kits, Doodles for leftovers "My Window", Praire Grove Peddler, Bunny candle mat, Shepherd's Bush "Tiny Garden" scissor fob, and my pink linen from the give away I won to stitch Doodles "Cross Stitch Time". After seeing so many of your cute pillows, I want to try and make this one into a pillow.

    When I get back on Monday I will let you know how many of these projects I got finished.

My first Stoney Creek Stand Up. I finished it about 2 weeks ago.



Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa



Come See What I Won!

The love we give away

is the only love we keep.

Elbert Hubbard

I was the lucky winner of "My life in Stitches" stitching diva give away.

    How exciting it is to receive such a wonderful package. I know it is hard to see in the picture but she hand stitched a "Stitching Diva" hanging sign. There was not one 1 but 2 patterns, Country Cottage, English Garden and Little House Needleworks, Sunflower Inn. There was linen I could stitch one of these patterns on along with some light pink linen. A pair of pink scissors with a fun heart beaded fob. All my favorites, pink, hearts and a fob. I already know what I am going to stitch on the pink linen.

    Thank you so much for the fun give away "Stitching Diva" package.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

Go Fly A Kite

The world is full of beauty ...

when your heart is full of love

   

    Doesn't this colorful kite just say summer to you? It started out as a fast little scissor fob last night until I got to the back side. Then I read the directions and it is done with one thread over 1 thread. Since I am not really a night person, this meant save the lettering until the morning when my eyes are at their best. Now I need to find a cute pair of scissors to attach it to. This is a Raise the Roof design kit. The kite is 2 1/2 inches long and 2 inches wide.

    To those of you who are in the middle of a cold winter waiting for spring, I apologize for taking my pictures outside. We have been fortunate in Southern California these last few days to have such nice weather. I am new at taking up close pictures and I am having better luck outside.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

Yes I did Another Fob!

When you're with a friend,

your heart has come home.

Emily Farber



    I am addicted to scissor fobs! I love them. I want one for every season, every holiday and every pair of scissors. Yes I sometimes buy more scissors to go with them. Yesterday while out shopping I got two new patterns. Go fly a kite scissor fob by Raise the Roof designs and Tiny Garden by Shepherd's Bush. Can't wait to start the kite tonight.
    This weekend I finished one that I will take on our Memorial Day trip we take each year up to Bellingham, WA. I never take a trip without a project.

    I love the way it was finished with the beads sewing on the Ric Rack. Now I will have to buy more Ric Rack because it was so fun to do.

    Next week we will taking out our 18 foot cute little trailer camping. It has been so long since we have been out. I am expecting a new stash shipment in any day now and will post what I pack in my travel bag to do while enjoying being out in nature.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

A Peaceful Sunday Afternoon

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trust in Him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy

and I will give thanks to Him in song.

Psalm 27:7

    I love quiet Sunday afternoons after a morning in church. This afternoon I was able to delight in a nice cup of tea in this cute tea cup a friend gave me. When there is tea in the cup it looks like a heart. I love anything with a heart, especially pink. While enjoying my tea and watching old Christy shows on tv I sat and did some stitching. I am currently working on a small piece that I am making for a future give-away.  So no pictures yet. I really enjoy making items like the scissor fob and pin cushion in the picture. I am very much a cat person so these are my favorites to use. My sweet Annabelle is usually my stitching companion. So yes that means on occasion I have to pick out a cat hair or two.

    How do you enjoy a peaceful afternoon? The only thing missing in mine was some chocolate to go with the tea.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

   

Completing The Impossible

Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible. 

    Have you ever looked at pattern and thought I would never finish that, but bought it any way? Well I did. I saw Just Nan's Twilight Pearls Leaf Ball pattern and fell in love with it. I really never thought I would even start it much well figure out how it came together. The pattern called for green and lavender linen, and me not being a purple person I put it aside. While on a trip to Florida in January I was out exploring cross stitch shops and came upon some light pink linen that just spoke to me. When I returned home I gave my not so sure pattern a try. The stitching was a lot easier than I had expected and putting it together was a little time consuming but fun.

Here is the 36 pieces all stitched. Now all I need is to sew them together!

My husband is always so supportive of my cross stitch projects. When I finished this he said that's nice but what is it. I said a ball, and he said yes but what's it purpose. I said just to be pretty. Yet I love him anyway.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

My First Cross Stitch Retreat

Friends touch our lives in ways no one else can....

They leave lasting imprints on our hearts.

K.Williams

    First let say "Thank You" to all who have starting following my blog. It has been exciting reading all the new comments.

    Last fall I was able to attend my first cross stitch retreat. I do a lot of cross stitching shopping on line and was once again browsing on the ABCStitch website when I saw they had just hosted their first retreat. My husband and I were in the middle of planning a fall foliage trip to the New England states. I mentioned to him that there would be a retreat in New Hampshire at the Enfield Shaker House right in the middle of our trip. Much to my surprise he said "book it" and I will visit friends in Maine while you are there.

    From the minute I arrived at the retreat I knew this was going to be a special time. Marie the owner of ABC Stitch and Nataly her helper made everyone feel so welcome. I had found Nataly's blog before I left home and had enjoyed following her. What a treat to now meet her. We were so pampered at the retreat from goodie bags on arrival, the most delicious food all weekend, surprise treats left at our door all weekend, a trip to the shop with a tea party, not to mention our reason for attending, a wonderful project to work on taught by Thea of Victoria Sampler.

    I was a little intimidated going to the retreat since I had not been stitching that long. I wasn't sure how much of the project that needed to done before I got there. So when the project arrived at my door I dropped all other stitching and got to working on my Gingerbread Tree Etui. We had one piece of linen and all these pieces had to fit. I must of measured re measured at least a dozen times before that first stitch went in. I was never so nervous because this piece everyone would be watching me stitch. Boy did I worry over nothing. Everyone at the retreat was so warm and friendly. They even shared a few stitching tips with me. I had so much fun I will be attending again this fall doing the back to back retreats.

    Attending the retreat was not just the fun of staying in a shaker bedroom, the fantastic treats and food, the fun games and prizes, learning new stitches,  it was meeting all the cross stitch lovers and making life time friends. Getting to know Nataly on Nataly's Needle Creations was so special after reading her blog. I do have to say a big "THANK YOU" to her for mentioning me in her blog inviting you to join mine. Marie and her staff at ABC Stitch, visit stitchingretreats.com and see what I will be doing in the fall. It was at the retreat I met Pam who we are now great email buddies. We will both be attending the retreat together. She and I started blogs together, please visit hers at confessions of a southern stitcher. She has posted an interesting question, can't wait to read your comments.

This is my retreat project. All four sides have a different scene.

It was fun learning to do a bullion knot rose, spider web rose, whipped spider web rose and the queenstitch.

Always keep love in your stitches,
Teresa