Bits and Bobs

Summer has officially started here in Galway...at least as far as we have summer.  The days are long and it's less rainy.  That's summer.  I have been spending lots of time camping, reading on the front porch, walking Molly on the beach and starting my very own garden.  Happy happy happy.  Very little time with my sewing machine, though.

I did start a new cross stitch project.  It travels with me so easily, so it is nearly irresistible.  This hoop began as a gift for someone special who has a big day in their near future.  I will give you sneak peeks between now and the "unveiling" to keep it hush hush.  

This is my first time using blue aida. It's quite difficult to see the holes while indoors, so I am a slow, sloppy stitcher in front of the TV.  The blue background is super outside as the sun shines through from the back.  Live and learn.

I also did a little test goose block the other day.  This paper pieced block by Jeli Quilts is such a treat to make so I look forward to diving in and making block after block after block for my medallion quilt.  I think I now know to what size I need to precut my scraps to minimize waste.  It's a good place to start anyway.  

That's the news.  Nothing earth shattering, mostly just puttering around and enjoying a bit of quiet time.

Big Stitch Swap Signups Are Open

That's right!  In invite you to join into a swap that myself and my friend Sarah are organizing.  The Big Stitch Swap.  Sarah had the super idea of doing a swap where hand stitching of some variety is a significant contribution to the swapped item.  It can be embroidery, hand quilting, cross stitch...what ever floats your boat!

What to make, what to make?  Well, our suggestions would be something along the scale of a iPad cover, a zippy pouch, a fancy notebook cover or a tote bag.  I am in the mood to make a mini quilt.  You get the idea.  The only guideline is that your hand stitching has to be a significant portion of the item's design.  

Want to join in?  The swap is open to 40 people.  The only catch is you need to have participated in two other swaps before joining into this one.  If you have, just click here and complete our entry form.  We will then secretly assign partners.  Know that your partner is not necessarily making an item for you.  While you are waiting for your partner assignment, join into our Flickr group and start thinking about an inspirational mosaic like the one I have below.  I used Big Huge Labs for mine, but you can use what ever works for you.

1. Link 2. Link 3. Link 4. Link 5. Link 6. Link 7. Link 8. Link 9. Link 10. Link
11. Link 12. Link 13. Link 14. Link 15. Link 16. Link

The swap timeline is as follows:

- Signups open today (19 June) and will close on 27 June or when we reach 40 participants.

- Partner assignments will be distributed on 4 July (before my celebratory BBQ!)

- Posting dates are from 4-8 August depending on your postal system and where your partner lives.  

As usual, we ask that everyone actively participate in Flickr conversation threads, drop hints on photo comments for your partner, etc.   If you have any questions before you sign up, please do ask!  Better to ask before you sign up than after...it only makes my life more difficult to find a substitute if you drop out.

I do hope you join us!  This will be so very fun!

Make a button for your blog with this HTML:

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Galway Stitching Meetup: June

Last night I met up with two lovely ladies for a little stitching in the sun.  It was absolutely wonderful.

I brought with me my ongoing cross stitch project, but didn't make huge progress.

I filled in a little background on the central "block" and started the blue squares on the third block.  More chatting than sewing, I guess.

Anneliese brought with her the famous triple zip pouch out of which she pulled Liberty hexies, papers and variegated Aurifil to baste to her heart's delight.  Really I think there were only two or three basted...we were too busy chatting and planning summer antics.

Do you see that arm?  A tanned Galwegian is a rarity.

Irina came to Galway for her first meetup, which was brilliant!  It was so nice to catch up with her in person and not (as usual) getting news through email.  Out of her bag, she pulled sashiko coasters she is making as a method of practising hand quilting.  She has a kit that comes with super cool pattern templates and a piece of chalk coated paper so that she can layer them on top of the linen and transfer the guidelines.  On the back, she'll use Japanese linen.  Such a cool, portable project.

Three children joined us, so our picnic table was filled with Fanta, cookies, ice cream and the makings of those elastic band bracelet thingies that are all the rage.

Not one cookie was left!  

We had a wonderful time catching up in the sun.  Ladies, it was so very nice to see you.  I can't wait to do it all again in July!

Cross Stitching a Quilt

The Fluffy Sheep Quilting birthday sale is still on!  Use the 

code bday15% at checkout.

I have been looking for a fun new cross stitch project for the past few weeks.  I like having one on the go for when I am travelling or sitting in front of the television.  Otherwise my fingers get fidgety.  There were lots and lots of google and etsy searches....and nothing made my heart flutter.

But then...I saw on IG that Corey, of Little Miss Shabby, was kicking off a cross stitch along called Quilty Stitches. I could not resist.  Now, I am joining in quite late and the rest of the group is already on block 7 as I begin stitching along, but I will eventually catch up.

I've pulled out a few skeins of embroidery floss that I dig together.  Since this photo, though, I have removed the orange and yellow and am going with a cooler palate for this project.

I kicked off stitching while travelling to/from Paris for work the other week and quickly realized this is going to take me forever.  Yep.  Forever.  

But there's something so very rewarding when you start seeing the block come together. It makes you want to keep stitching!

Finally (many many nights of stitching later) I have a finished Swoon block.  I very much like my choice in color in the background "fabric" and in the sashing.  And I love the cooler color palate which is new for me.  All in all it's a success so far!

Next I'm tackling the super nutty, HST overloaded Odd Fellow's Chain block.  Wish me luck.  I'm slightly freaking out because I do not have a total mental grasp on these quarter stitches that make up the diagonal in each triangle.  I think I'm fudging it pretty well, so I'll just keep going.  Breathe, Cindy.  Breathe.

To join in yourself, just click here and you will see the project requirements and links to the PDF pattern for each block.  Come on and join in too!  You know you want to....

Home Sweet Bone

A finish!  A finish!  I have been diligently stitching each evening trying to finish off this little project.  In full honesty I can say I have enjoyed each and every stitch.  Want to see?

I used a silver-grey-blue fabric as the background to be sure the cream bone would stand out.  I think you can see it well enough.  

And the variety in lettering font and color kept me interested and mentally engaged.  Some I liked more than others, but I am glad I tried such a wide variety.  I would absolutely try for the same "funked up" alphabet in my next project.

And the little kawaii bone makes my heart smile.  

This will be hung next to my last I Love Science cross stitch above my desk at work.  There's a space saved for a third cross stitch that has already been mentally designed, but I have to contact Crystal at the Nerdy Little Stitcher to get a pattern created.  Again, I can't say enough about her customer service, so do give her little shop a peek if you are in the mood for a fun little hand-stitched project.

This is my first finish of the 2014 Finish Along.  Yippee!  I hope it's not my last!

Quiet Around These Parts

We had a lovely, quiet weekend here in Galway so I have very little to tell you.  There were walks with the dog, dinner with friends, laundry (of course) and a little bit of stitching.  I really enjoyed sit down to my cross stitch each evening.  

The little bone is done and dusted and (with any luck) the "HOME" will be finished tonight.  Just half of the H left.  As you may remember, though, the lettering is more "funked up" than this.  I have to go back and do a little prettying up of the OME.  Easy peasy.  

For a laugh, do you remember that I made hand warmers for my family as a Christmas stocking stuffer?  My SIL came back to me with this story of how she's using them:

"I've been meaning to tell you (and I thought everyone else would find it funny too) that I used your hand warmers when it was so so so cold a week or so ago to walk Lolo - I think it was 5 degrees when I went outside.  Well, they worked marvellously!  My hands were toasty warm the entire time.  The funny part was that when the rice was warmed up it smelled delicious, kind of like popcorn, so all of the dogs in the park were hovering around me and sniffing my hands.  They thought I was depriving them of a treat!  It was very funny.  I looked kind of like St. Francis. 

Anyways, thanks for keeping us warm!"

Hilarious!  Catherine, you are cracking me up!

FAL 2014: First Quarter Goals

I am thrilled that the opening 2014 FAL linky is up and running over at The Littlest Thistle.  I could use a little help focusing and pressure inspiration to get myself back into the sewing room and creating again.  So, here are my (overly aspirational?) goals for the next 3 months:

1. Swoon 2013
I signed up for Sarah's QAL and was nearly on time getting my blocks finished...but then I lost steam finishing the sashing and getting the borders on.  So, I need to finish the top, quilt and bind this project.  I am excited to dig back in again!

2. Home Sweet Bone Cross Stitch
I have been diligently stitching each and every night.  Recently this is my primary project and I am loving it through and through.  I'd like to finish stitching, tie off the back and have it hanging over my desk before this quarter is finished.

3. Modern Irish Bee Quilt
This quilt was started over a year ago as part of the inaugural Modern Irish Bee.  My bee buddies were wonderful and I did receive each and every one of my blocks.  However, when I tried to make a few additional blocks to enlarge the quilt, I could not (for the life of me) get them to the appropriate final size.  Several I totally unpicked 3-4 times!  Anyway, I lost my love for the process and I put the blocks away.  I would love to pull them out, finish the top (add a border?), hand quilt (ahem!) and bind it.

4. Spools Mini Quilt

I made one of these minis to give away, but I'd love to have one myself to hang in my sewing room.  I have the pieces all cut and laid out, but not stitched together.  I need to piece, quilt and bind this cutie.

5. Donation Quilt

I would like to make a quilt to be sent to Mexico City.  I have a pattern in mind, but instead of using a fresh new charm pack I would like to dive into my stash for this project.  I have so many charms from the gazillion swaps I joined recently.  I have the top nearly done, so I need to quilt and bind this before we'll call it done.

That's my list and I will try my best to stick to it!  Thanks so much, Katy, for keeping us on the straight and narrow!  (HA!  Who would have thought it was you who would herd us in?)

Galway Modern Stitchers Meetup

 Last night I had the great pleasure to meet up with two other Galway quilters for a little stitching on the way home from work/before dinner.  I had such a wonderful time chatting with the ladies and checking out what they're making (and how they're doing it) all while drinking a hot chocolate.

Annette was finishing off three wall hangings for her nephews.  There was one dog, one cat and one horse, each personalized with a little fella's name.  These are my most favorite things I have ever seen made with PB&J fabrics.  I thought they looked super.  Annette is nearly there - just tying off a few threads and getting that binding down.  Stitch on, Annette!

Anneliese joined Annette and I to finish off her matchstick quilting wall hanging.  I won't show you the front as I don't want to spill the beans before it's on her blog.  I will say it's gorgeous, though!  I'd love for her to make 5+ more and turn them into table mats.  They'd be gorgeous!  

Check out Anneliese's travelling goodies - a little metal pin box, a sewing roll (cute fabric!) and a kindle to keep her little ones occupied.

I brought along my little cross stitch.  You can see some progress from my last post, but I will say it was slow going.  I could not see well in the dim light, so I unpicked as much as I stitched.  I was also more interested in what Anneliese and Annette were making so I wasn't paying attention to my own project.

Anneliese's two daughters spent a little time drawing and writing notes.  Here's mine, clearly addressed to myself with a cover photo of my bone...

Inside was a fuzzy kitten (with a bow!) and an interpretation of my entire cross stitch panel.  I did receive a second love note from Anneliese's younger daughter, but I think Anneliese is very careful to not mention their names and her name was so very carefully written in the center (surrounded by hearts).  I will keep that one to myself.

We even did a quick cross stitch lesson, so I can't wait to see what they created by our next meeting!  Ladies, it was wonderful to stitch with you.  I can not wait until we meet up again!  Thanks for such a great night out.

Creating a happy place

Before Christmas I moved my (day job) desk and laboratory into a new building.  It's only now on my return to work that I have focused on making it my fresh, new happy place. I spend so much time at work, I might as well like my little personal space.

I have started stitching my little nerdy cross stitch.  I had such plans to stitch all the way to/from the US over my Christmas break....but the DMC order didn't arrive in time.  (Sigh.)  It did arrive by New Years so I have been happily stitching each evening.  Want to see what I've made?

It's an 18 count piece of Aida, so WAY finer than I am used to working with.  There was a small learning curve, but I think I have found my stride. I choose a soft, light blue/grey color so that the cream of the bone stands out.  I'm quite happy with it so far and can't wait to dive in on the lettering.

In the mean time, I have a massive grey noticeboard over my desk that is screaming for color.  (Weirdly enough it is nearly the exact color of Kona Med Grey.)  I decided to create little scrappy fabric thumb tacks to bring my fabric prints to work and spice up the board a bit.  So, I grabbed my button forms (stocked up while in the US!)...

and my overflowing scrap basket...

and I started in.  I used a tutorial by How About Orange for inspiration, but had to make a few changes given the bits and pieces I had available to me.

In no time at all I had a set of 10+ thumb tacks ready to brighten up my desk!   How satisfying is that for a nice little evening project?  Perfect.

I won't show you the "finished" version quite yet...will wait for the great unveil of the whole notice board.  I'm now thinking of a little bunting too.  Too much?

Nerdy Cross Stitch Strikes Again

As you may know from my IG feed (@fluffysheepquilting), I have just moved day job offices.  My walls are now totally bare and a really depressing grey.  This is a great opportunity to take a blank canvas and create a happy world of colorful hand crafted goodness to surround myself all day.  I already have my I Love Science cross stitch, so there's a good start. 

I went over to my favorite cross stitch shop, Nerdy Little Stitcher, and had a good look around. Although there are many great patterns available, I wanted something that was bone-focused to suit our laboratory.  Lucky for me, you can contact Crystal (the Nerdy Stitcher master mind) and together you can create your own personal pattern!  

She was super fast in replying to my request, was fantastic at taking my ideas into consideration and worked beautifully with me when I wanted to "funk up" the lettering.  How did she know what was in my head!?!? Needless to say I'm thrilled and can't wait to start stitching.  It's a perfect project for my holiday travels.

In other news, we all know how I'm digging hand printed fabric lately.  Really, I am just stashing it like a little squirrel hiding nuts for winter.  Anyway, the amazing Blueberry Park is kicking off a bimonthly fabric club in their shop.  You can sign up for a monthly or annual subscription in three different sized packs (panels, half panels or charms).  My heart couldn't stand the temptation...I've already signed up for the first charm allotment.  Woo hoo!

I Love Science

There it is.  I've said it out loud.  I love science.  I'm pretty sure that make me the Queen of the Dorks, but I am quite happy with that title.

When I saw this cross stitch pattern I could not resist.  I was thinking that I might even bring it into work and hang it over my laboratory bench.  Wouldn't that be hilarious?  My peers know my love for needle and thread, so they would get a great laugh!

This is my first finish in the Q2 Finish Along.  I have been working on this since Christmas, but it was retired to the back of a shelf in Jan/Feb.  Now that the pup has arrived I needed to abandon the sewing machine for a few days and work on hand project.  It was the perfect time to dust off this cutie and finish it off.  I'm so glad I did!

Finish Along Q2 Goals

And we start off a new quarter with high hopes.  Here's what I would like to finish between now and June:

1. Rainbow Charm Swap
With 56 lovely ladies waiting, I aim to pack up and deliver an extra large charm pack to each one of them.  That means cutting nearly 3,000 charms and packing up over 6,000!  I have lots of yardage cut, so I just need to get down to business.

2. Pezzy Pizazz
The top is finished, she's layered and the quilted has begun!  I just have to finish the final 2/3 of the quilting and bind this cutie.

3. Tote
I have half of a tote made using this tutorial.  You see, it was to be a replacement Mouthy Stitches tote, but it was no longer needed.  I have the lining made using Summersville (with a little pocket) so I just have to make the exterior (out of Echino) and pop on two handles.  Easy peasy you'd think, but it's been sitting around my sewing room for months and needs to be finished off.

4. Liberty Love
Again, the top is done.  I even have most of the backing fabric here at home.  I need to do a little piecing, layer it and quilt like mad.  I was thinking of quilting it like this, then binding it in Liberty.  That's the plan at least.

5. Modern Stitching Bee
I have the most gorgeous bee blocks piled up here in my sewing space.  I so love them.  It's time to start assembling the top and get this pretty finished off.

6. Knitted Cap
I have a knitted cap made of the most beautiful home spun yarn, sent to me by Judy.  This cap is 95% finished.  I just have another little bit of knitting to do to finish the crown.  If only you guys could feel this...it's so soft, fuzzy and warm.  Gorgeous.  I can't wait to break it out next winter.

7. Knitted Purse
I have a green knitted purse that has been an on and off project for me since Christmas.  I have both handles done and one side.  The second side is 1/2 finished.  I just have to finish that last side and assemble.  I love this project.  I'm not sure why it's taking me so long to finish it.

8. Dorky Science Cross Stitch.
For those of you who may not know me well, I'm a total science dork.  When I saw this cross stitch pattern, who could resist?  I am about half way finished. It is not a masterpiece, but it makes me happy.  I can't wait to finish and hang it above my work desk.  Wouldn't that be hilarious?

I think those are the major UFOs that I can plan to finish in the next three months.  I had better get stitching!

Leanne, thanks again for hosting.  You know I love a good to-do list :)