Pennies Pennies!

I've been working more on my pennies today! The buttonhole stitch is so relaxing and easy stitching...don't you agree?!

 

There will be 3 large pennies on each block. I've layed them out in groups to keep the colors mixed up a bit. I guessed at the amount of circles I'd need and would you believe I only had one extra set? I'll have to put that one on the label on the back and make good use of it!

I'll work real hard tomorrow to get the border ready so I'll have lots ready to stitch in the next few days! I'm ready to start with the freezer templates to cut out the flowers and leaves from cottons and wools. It's quite a fun time to choose just the right fabrics for each section!

I don't think I've mentioned it to you all, but I've added a few new things to the website. One thing I've added is my own collections of Valdani 3 Strand Floss. I enjoy the same colors used in different combinations for my designs.

This collection is called Hallbrook Designs Prisms. It's a grouping of some of the brighter colors I like to use in my designs. You might notice that the yellow is quite a bit brighter than you see in my work. I like to adjust this one by mixing strong instant coffee (about 2 tsp of instant coffee in about a half to three quarters of a cup of hot water.) Then I drop the ball of floss right in the coffee and let it soak about 10-20 minutes. When I take it out I squeeze out the coffee and let it dry very well. The coffee will be heavier in some spots than others and give the yellow a nice dirty hue! Nothing like dirty yellow when you are punching or stitching traditional primitive style! Haha! You can also choose to paint the coffee on after you've punched with it, but I prefer the method described above. Here's an example of how it turns out! These colors are so nice...I love 'em!

Here's the other collection from Hallbrook Designs called Basics. These are the more primitive colors that I use. I love these colors too! Cant do without the basics! With these two collections you can make about any of my Punchneedle designs. Go take a look if you are interested by clicking HERE.

Mmmm...Scrumpdillyumptious colors, don't you think!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Take care,

Missie

 

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New Sunflower Pincushion Pattern!

I have a new Pattern ready for you, thanks to Michelle May of The Raspberry Rabbits! She and I have become good blogging buddies in the past year. We both love to work with Valdani Three Strand Floss and believe it or not, that's what got our friendship going! That and our love of Bunnies that is! If you have been to her blog you know she LOVES bunnies. If not, check it out here. She collects REAL bunnies and I collect dark colored bunnies to sit around the house!

Ok, Back to the pattern...

A while back she asked if I would design a pattern using her Valdani Three Strand Floss Collection, called Folk Art Fusion. It is a 12 color collection of beautiful colors available from her online store here.
I decided to make a Sunflower Pincushion. This pincushion is about 5" round and the pattern has instructions for making it in Wool or Punchneedle embroidery. It is really a quick little project and was so fun to make! As a punched pincushion, it would be a unique addition to your collection. As a wool pincushion it would be a darling addition as well as quick to finish! If you have followed my blog for a while, you have seen my coasters in the past. This pattern could also be made into coasters as well. (The cork coaster bases are available on my website notions page).

The picture above is a bit brighter than it really is, but Folk Art Fusion is a collection of great colors to work with as you can see below! She creates all sorts of pretties with these colors.

You can buy the Pattern and any Punchneedle supplies on my website, Traditional Primitives HERE and the floss collection and wool felt kit on her website, The Raspberry Rabbits! Check out all of her other goodies while you are there! She is very talented and creative! Her designs are unique and modern, yet have a country flair to them also. She's always keeping things "hopping" on her blog with fun offerings and stories!

If you are a visitor from Michelle's blog, I welcome you to my blog! Feel free to become a follower and join me in my quilting (and punching) adventure. Take a look back at some past posts. I hope you learn something new and decide to come back and see me! Be sure to visit my online store, Traditional Primitives HERE and see what I have to offer you. I love English Paper Piecing, Punchneedle, Wools and Appliqué.

As a celebration of my friendship with Michelle, I'd love to have a drawing for a copy of the Sunflower Pincushion! Follow me if you like my style and leave a comment telling me what kind of quilts or handwork you like to make and if you are interested in the drawing! I'll draw next Sunday so be sure to allow reply emails in your profile so I can let you know if you won! ( if you want to buy the Sunflower Pincushion Pattern today, you can choose another $9 pattern from my site if you win the drawing!)
Thanks to Michelle for this fun little blog hop we cooked up and thanks to you for visiting today!
Take care and come back soon!
Missie

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One Woman's Junk Is Another Woman's Treasure! Let's Get Organized!

I have a pattern I designed for keeping my projects organized which I have used and loved using for years!

It's called the Sewing Bee Binder. I have made several different sizes...large, medium and small. When you go on a trip or to a quilting group to stitch and don't have a table, it works really good because the binder sides are stiff and allow you to have a little flat space to use as a table while sitting in a straight chair. Then when it's time to go home or get out of the car, all you do is zip it shut! They have been used ALOT! But now, I have so many different projects going, I have piles of projects laying here and there to stitch on now and then. I need to make a few more binders to keep projects in, but there just isn't time for me right now!

Taryn at Repro Quilt Lover was so sweet to send me a cute little sandwich box to take with me to keep my purse safe! I mentioned to her that my scissors cut through one of my nice purses! It was an extra for her and is now my treasure! You can see it here. It is working great to take to the Doctors office every few days! (Allergy shots with 30 minute waiting time after)

Even my own junk is a new treasure for me!! I needed a bandaid this morning and went in search of the right size...couldn't find a safety kit with any bandaids left so gathered a few to throw away. As I was getting the last health goodies we have not used out of the cases, I realized these cases could be used and used WELL! Look at this great divider in this big case!

And here it is in action!

It has a perfect slot for my glasses, thimble and thread and two larger sections for unused pieces and the block I am stitching on! I'm excited!

The labels are coming of easy peaty on this one! I think I have a new treasure!

I keep my buttons all nice an organized in floss caddies. Have not really used my buttons too much since I stopped smocking years and years ago, so recently I decided I could reuse this caddy. My Valdani floss is forever rolling away on the floor when I pull to get more length. I discovered this old floss box works wonderful for the balls of floss! I pull a length, leaving the ball in the box, close the lid and keep pulling while the lid is closed! No balls falling off my lap and rolling across the carpet catching dog hairs! Yeah! This caddy was pretty much junk sitting on the shelf for at least 10 years...now it's a new treasure!

I can keep all my floss colors for the project I am working on in the caddy, ready to find easily! Instead of getting snagged in a basket or lost under the end table. I also have a habit of forgetting to write down the colors I am using for a Punchneedle project, then spend quite a bit of time trying to figure out what exact colors I used for the pattern. With my floss all packed away neatly in this box, I have an easy way to know exactly what colors I used!

Life's getting easier with these little (junky) treasures! I could show you a few more, but you get the idea...

What do you use to keep organized??

Have a great day and take care,

Missie

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Quick Little Finish!

Punched, embroidered, quilted and bound! Quick little Mini Punchneedle Quilt! Now it's off to the darling store in Omaha, More Sew For You. They will be carrying the pattern for this little quilt, Primitive Pineapple Welcome. If you are ever in the area it is well worth stopping to shop this store. They had a great selection of beautiful fabrics and cool notions, lovely displays and very nice employees!

It is punched and embroidered with Valdani 3 strand and size 12 pearl cotton. The border has wool appliqué and it was so fun to make another one. I will need to get busy on more quilts in this series!

But first, I will prepare some Dear Jane so I can take them with me to sewing groups! Yeah!

Take care,

Missie

 

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Happy Belated Holiday and thank goodness for cooler weather!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July! This is an antique quilt I saved a picture of long ago. It's one of my favorite patriotic quilts of yesteryear.

We just got home from a trip to see family and attend a wedding in hot hot Indiana! My goodness it was HOT and humid. I feel for all the folks stuck in the heat wave with no power all these days. So glad cooler and less humid weather arrived today! We attended a wedding Saturday and we were sure glad the church and reception were nice and cool! Always fun to see a new couple in love getting married!

I finally have time to post a good pic of my wool Quilt, Charmed Beginnings, made from Blackberry Primitives wool. It's lovely wool to work with.  All pieces are appliquéd. No piecing except for putting the blocks together. This is a pretty quick quilt to put together as wool appliqué is so easy since there are no seams to turn under. It is hand quilted in primitive stitches with Valdani 12 pearle cotton. Hmmm...gives me the itch for another wool project!

We came home to blooming hydrangeas...the only thing that was not burned up in the heat! I'm glad to have enjoyed these a few days.

I hope your weather is pleasant where ever you are...we are pleasant in Iowa the last few days! Take care!

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Banned From the Sewing Room!

Well, it's a very hot morning here in Iowa...I had plans of getting some sewing done in the cool basement sewing room this morning...ahhh, it will have to wait! There is currently a floor full of teenage gals sleeping in late! LOL! I guess I am banned from my sewing room this morning. We have a big open room down there and my sewing area is down at one end. So I didn't wake them I turned on the fan, found a good movie and did a little more Punchneedle upstairs this morning. This coaster went really quick... Started and finished punching this morning! I ran out of glue so will finish it completely another day. The Valdani thread looks so nice with it's subtle shading.

The design was based on the circle block on the top row of my quilt, In the Orange Grove. It's bright and colorful, yet it's also got that prim feel I love. The colors mimic those in the quilt. When it hangs in my living room I will surely enjoy this coaster along with the quilt! Take a look at the pattern on my website HERE.   The coaster pattern will be listed soon! I plan to make a group pattern offering 4 coasters to coordinate with this quilt. Won't be long and they will be available!

Have a cool relaxing day! Take care!

Away at the Beach! Punchneedle was an easy project to take along!

 

Last week we went away for a visit to Orange Beach, Alabama. A beautiful place for sure! Here was the view from our balcony while I did a little stitching. The sound of the waves was very relaxing and when I'd had enough watching the waves roll in, I picked up my project.

 

For those of you who have not done punchneedle, this is how it looks as you begin punching the shapes. They are a bit messy, but as long as you stay within the lines, the shape will sharpen up nicely when you fill in around it. Notice the berries and pineapple shapes...before and after filling in a bit!

 

I am auditioning background colors for the blocks in this little punchneedle quilt. I don't think this is quite right, yet I do like the varigated look.

Here you can see I have added a bit of solid ivory around the star.

Punchneedle was a great little project to take along on my trip. I was able to check with TSA at the check in desk and they approved me taking the needle on board. It was flat and small in my carry on bag and I got quite a bit done when I felt I was being to idle with my hands. I took it to the poolside, worked on it on the balcony and at the airport. You know us quilters and stitchers can't be empty handed for long!

Have a great day!

 

Rainy Day Projects...

I am plugging away at quilting The Appliqué Group charity quilt. Today it's been hot and rainy so I am working on lots of little projects inside. The pebble quilting you see above makes my hands tired so I am only working on it in small spurts of time!

 

When my hands are resting from quilting, I am working in little bits on other projects. This is a new punchneedle design I have started. It will be another mini quilt with punchneedle in the center. I can't wait to get going with more colors!

Have a nice relaxing afternoon!

Mariner's Compass Coaster

Punchneedle is one of my favorite crafts that can be done easily when things are busy around here. Katie is off to camp as of midnight last night and we had a busy few days getting her ready to go. I had snippets of time here and there and this coaster was one project that was done in a flash!

This took only about an hour or so in total. I love making coasters out of punchneedle. The colorfast 3-strand floss from Valdani does not bleed after being moistened by drops of water from glasses. I have used my punchneedle coasters for a few years and just wanted to add to my collection. For the base I use small sized cork and wood plant protectors from the big box home stores. The punchneedle is glued on the backside to hold the loops in place and at that time I glue it to the wood base with permanent glue. Works great!

One thing about punchneedle...the projects are small and we decorate baskets an other things to sit around, but making coasters and framed art are my favorite uses for punchneedled projects. You can see a few more at my online store, Traditional Primitives.  Click HERE to shop! You will see that I like to do larger projects as well. I have a rabbit quilt using punchneedle that I will show soon. It is something I work on occasionally when I am not designing.

Katie and her buddies headed to camp bought black hats from the dollar store and decided to use some bright fabrics to put their name on them. After they got started, Katie decided to do hers a bit differently...we made a cover for the top of the hat, stitched it on and then she did her name in black. It's cute as can be! I wish I had pics of the others...they all turned out darling!