Dressing up a dollar store kitchen towel!

So this is what I have been up to lately!
 I was thinking of what I could do this year for some inexpensive, cute, practical gift ideas for Christmas.  When I  saw these cute Kitchen towels at the dollar store the other day knew exactly what I could do with them :-)  I found some pretty vintage pear and apple embroidery patterns online to stitch onto the towels (I have noticed Vintage embroidery is big right now).  I am almost done with the pear towel and this is how it looks so far. I also plan to sew some red ric rac across the bottom.  I want to stitch the apple pattern on the other towel and  I want to make a matching pot holder, trivit and dish towel apron and make it a whole set! I will post how I am doing those once I get them finished :-)
 I am also on the R. S. meeting committee in my ward and we are going to do the towels and aprons for our Super Saturday coming up, but we might be doing flour sack towels instead.
p.s. My Chickens have started laying eggs finally! Yay!

Stitchery basics!

Sorry I have neglected the craft blog for a few days!  I have been spending a lot of my free computer time lately getting my Reading Blog going. So if you are a reader check it out!
Anyway this post is for all those out there who have never tried stitchery before or maybe it has been awhile and you don't quite remember how.  Unlike counted cross stitch where there is a lot of counting and messing up and picking out etc. etc. etc. Stitchery is very relaxing, calming and easy to do, but it looks and feels like you did something really amazing when you are done!

Stitchery is like drawing, tracing or writing on fabric, but with a needle and thread. The pioneer women taught their kids the alphabet with stitchery.  You can draw your own  patterns, purchase patterns online or at a craft store or I also like to find cute chunky coloring pages They make perfect stitchery patterns :-)

This letter A is an example of something fun to do in a small child's room or a nursery.  You could do the whole alphabet in cute frames that go all the way around the room. You can find these alphabet pics here.

You can use a light box to trace your picture on muslin fabric or you can be like me and you can use a window with good lighting shining through it to trace your pattern with light pencil onto your muslin fabric. Then you choose the embroidery floss you want to use.  Embroidery floss has 6 strands of thread.  I usually use two threads for my regular stitching, but I use less or more threads to create different looks to the stitchery.                                                                                                                                                                 Spotted Canary has a great tutorial on how to do the basic stitches. and 

The Stitching Cow blog also has a great tutorial and a cute free pattern to go with it!

Happy stitching!

A passion of mine...

I discovered a few years ago that I love to do stitchery. I find it very relaxing and it's something I love to do while watching tv or while riding in the car, especially on long trips. I've even made up a few of my own patterns. I haven't taken pictures of everything I've done, but I thought I would post a couple of things that I've created over the past couple of years.



This one is actually a Mac-a-doodles design. I met her (the Mac-a-doodles lady) one year at one of my mother-in-law's enrichment activities and this pattern is the one that started my love affair with stitchery. You can find the pattern here: http://www.macadoodles.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=28main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=28



This design I did on my own, but I think I got the idea from Michelle. I took it a little further by gluing fun buttons on the frame. Very fun!

Christmas stitchery

I have wanted to do this stitchery for the last couple of years.  Maybe this year will be the year!  I wanted to stitch some cute designs on some Christmas stockings that I want to make. 

You can find this pattern at Cedarberry Stitches.  Here is a link to their site.  I love their Stitchery designs!

http://www.cedarberrystitches.com/christmas.html

I am so excited!

I just discovered that one of my favorite, favorite, favorite stitchery designers now has a website!

http://www.macadoodles.net/

 A lot of her stuff is at a store I love called Pine Needles at Gardner Village in Utah.

Here are a couple of her designs she has on her site.

Twin stitchers freebie

If you love doing stitchery like me, or you have never tried it there is a great simple FREE pattern that Twin Stitchers is offering on their blog. Check it out!  Here is the link. http://twinstitchers.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-cute-are-these.html

fun fall projects!

I love, love, love this time of year!  The air is crisp and cool, there is a wonderful fragrance in the air, And all the fall colors start coming out!

Today we woke up to a cold rainy day. The kind of day that makes me want to craft and watch a Jane Austin movie at the same time!

There are a few fall crafts that have caught my eye and I want to share them with you.

First this is the cutest fall craft with decorative wood letters.  You can find it on

http://brownpaper--packages.blogspot.com/. she has instructions on her blog.

Also  I loved the Whimsy of this cute Halloween stitchery.  It was a painting that was transformed into a stitchery.  That is why I love stitchery!  You can stitch anything that is a picture. http://www.flickr.com/photos/30752157@N07/3815736834/

Something I have been wanting to do for several years is pressed leaf art. I found instructions on http://www.casasugar.com/2486229 and http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/pressed-leaf-butterflies?

Cute stitchery idea

I found these cute magnets by Mary Ann Carter while searching the net for stitchery ideas. This is definitely a project I want to try soon! She has made mini stitcheries and put them on those wood buttons. These are her Valentine patterns, but she has summer and winter ones also. You can find the patterns at Pineneedlesonline.com click on the embroidery section and then find Mary ann Carter on the list of embroidery crafters. This is the website I like to go to when I need stitchery inspiration.

I also like this one by Pine Bough (also at the pineneedles website)

I just love this quote!