I-Spy Quilt

This is the quilt that took me over two years to finish. My son loves it. We used it during his birthday party to play I-Spy and the children loved it. If I ever make another I-Spy quilt, it will be using a square block instead of hexagons and triangles. I'm a novice, and this was a very difficult quilt.

I made a pocket on the back for the list of items to search for on the quilt. I still need to add a label.

Happy Dance for 2 year project!

I finally finished the I-Spy quilt for my son! It has 200 octagons and 400 small, pesky triangles. I will post a photo later. My son took it to school today, which is his 8th birthday, to share with the class. He loves it.

Sentimental Journey

My SIL and I went through some of my MIL's sewing room stash today. In case you are new to my blog, my MIL passed away in December. She had begun a cathedral windows quilt for my DH. It looks as though she had cut out all the pieces at one time. It is completely hand stitched. I'll post a photo of it in the next day or two. We ran across so many projects she had begun over the years. It was such a treat to see some of her crafting and sewing projects. She loved crazy quilts, sunbonnet sue, and Victorian designs.

DS/7 was sick this weekend with a cold. I did, however, manage to add 2 more rows to his I-Spy quilt. I didn't get to do any cross stitching, though. Hopefully, I'll get a few stitches in during the next few days.

Beginning Moorish Idol

Fish Medley has 5 fish in the design. I will begin stitching the Moorish Idol next. It's the largest of the three remaining fish, so if I get this huge one out of the way, the last two will go quicker. Once all the fish are stitched, I'll add the coral and backstitch everything. Cross stitching may go slowly this week due to other projects that are more urgent.

Today, I've been stripping wallpaper off the guest/children's bathroom. This project consists of stripping, mudding, and painting. Hopefully, it will be complete before next Friday.

Also, I am planning DS/7's birthday party for this weekend. He is into Pokemon, so I found a coloring page and reduced it and made invitations. Cost = $0!!! I just love my computer. I haven't bought the first gift or done any of the planning yet, however. I've got to get busy. Oh yes, I failed to mention, I'm also attempting to finish the I Spy quilt before his birthday. I may be dreaming, but we'll see.

Finally, a Happy Dance..sort of

Fish Medley Progress #3
After way more stitching than I thought it would take, this is the lemon angelfish part of Fish Medley. I will not do the backstitching until all the cross stitching is complete.

Close-up of Lemon Angelfish
The photo doesn't do the colors justice. They are very brilliant, not washed out.

Yellow Angel Fish

I'm still stitching on the yellow angel fish that is in the Fish Medley design. I've probably logged four hours during the last few days. Over the weekend, DH and I watched the movie, Troy, and I cross stitched some then. Also, we watched "24" and it's hard to get any stitching done during that show because I can't follow it and stitch at the same time. Every time DH watched a ballgame, I took that opportunity to be with him and cross stitch. I'm learning girls, I'm learning. I will try to post a progress pic of Fish Medley later tonight.

In other news, DH will be playing January 29th at Isaac Hayes for two 1 hour shows. They have fabulous food! We're looking forward to returning to this venue. If you're in Memphis, drop by and hear some great music (I'm biased) and have some awesome food! We'd love to see you!

"I Spy" quilt progress

"I Spy" quilt progress
I sewed together 8 rows of my son's quilt today. It's slow because of all the pinning. I have 8 more rows to go on this part. Next, the borders can be added.

I also stitched some on "Fish Medley", but not enough to post another pic yet. There's no way I'll have it finished before his birthday, but the quilt is possible.

Longing to Stitch

I haven't cross stitched in the last few days because DH has been on vacation. A few jobs around the house were finished. I did, however, start going through my stash of cross stitch books. I'll be trading or selling the ones I know I'll never stitch in my lifetime. I'll post the list when I finish the sort.

Worldwide Emergenza Festival

Last night Dani and her band (DH on keys) played in the first round of the Worldwide Emergenza Music Festival. They will progress to round 2. Good job! You can learn more about this "battle of the bands" by going to Emergenza.

I Spy Quilt Progress

I Spy quilt progress
Notice the book is open to the actual pattern I am using for my DS/7's I Spy quilt. It's the first pieced quilt I have sewn. I would not recommend this particular pattern as a beginner project. Hopefully, I will finish it before his birthday at the end of this month.

Fish & The Tooth Fairy

Fish Medley Progress #2
My progress on Fish Medley is going slowly. I am almost finished with the yellow fish. The blue fish is finished with the exception of backstitching. I always save the backstitching for the end.

Also, I ran across this tooth fairy pillow I made for my DS/18 when he was little. He wanted this specific dinosaur.

Tooth Fairy Pillow

Car Wreck

DD/23 was in her first car wreck yesterday. No one was hurt, but her car may be totaled. Since her airbag activated, she's very sore and her wrist are bruised. She was wearing her seatbelt, also. The airbags and seatbelt were the reason she wasn't seriously hurt. What a blessing that she is okay! God was watching over her. It's a good thing that no one was hurt since it took the police over an hour to respond.

Sewing Room Organization

My DH has been on vacation this week so we've been getting some things done around the house. He hung 2 shelves in the sewing/guest room.

Sewing Room Shelves
I used an large, old frame and some pegboard to create an organizer for the wall. After I painted the frame and the pegboard, DH assembled it and hung it over my sewing machine. It is so cool! (The purple and pink bins hold my sewing patterns.)

Sewing Station
Next, he hung my "printer's drawer" that holds some of my thread and a thimble collection, on another wall. A few years ago, he made me the spool rack that is on the table beneath the "printer's drawer".

Thread Storage
The white table was a hand-me-down from my aunt. It was brown and stained. I painted it and I'll be adding a fabric skirt to it once I find the right fabric. The color on the walls is actually a bright lime, not mint green.

DH also replaced a faucet and the light fixture in our kid's/guest bath. I'm in the process of removing all the wallpaper in the bath so I can paint it. I won't ever wall paper again. I change my mind to often so I need to stick to painting instead of papering. Wallpaper and I do not get along. It was soooo crooked, it was embarrassing. Never again.

DH introduced to blogging world

My DH, who's a musician, is beginning a blog of his own. Once it's tweaked a bit, I'll link to it. He'll be blogging on his band's gigs and traveling, etc. He plays piano, keyboards, mandolin, and guitar for the band, Dani. On another note, I'd really like to know a simple way to change the blog template to have two sidebars, one on each side. I intend on changing mine when I get the code.

Here's DH's new blog:
Music Jock.

Messing About In A Boat

I stitched this for my husband in 1989 while we were dating. He had seen this quote cross stitched in a friend's cabin for years and admired it. He showed it to me on one of our boating trips. The original design was the quote only. I charted the words and added the 3 designs which I got from a nautical sampler that appeared in Cross Stitch & Country Crafts magazine. It is stitched on 14 count fiddler cloth and framed in barn wood.

Train Stalled and Fish "Just Keep Swimming"

Engine #1 WIP
I started stitching this on 11/6/00, for DS/7. It's from Stoney Creek Cross Stitching Magazine Nov/Dec. '89. All that is left is the backstitching. If you look closely, you can see the right side of part of the train, wheels, and tracks are backstitched already. The fabric is 14ct. white aida. I'm not sure if I'll frame it or make it a pillow insert.

Hopefully, in the next few days, I'll have the second fish stitched in Fish Medley. I'll post a progress pic then.

I finally got the tree and some of the Christmas decorations put away, although I usually leave the Dickens' Village displayed until February. DS/7 returned to school this morning following Christmas break. He's in 2nd grade. We painted his room a deep sea blue/green recently, to rid him of his "nursery" look. He and I are planning to make some fish for his wall out of foam core. I'm still working on the idea. He wanted fish painted directly on the wall, but I thought the cut-outs would be fun for he and I to decorate and embellish.

We are being given a small aquarium today for DS/7's room. He has been doing extra chores to earn money for one. He doesn't know about the aquarium yet. Now he'll be able to use his money for fish, etc. We've had a 29 gallon fish aquarium in the past, but it was before DS/7 was born.

Man & Wife Design Photo

"Man & Wife" design photo
I love this design. The colors are rich. It was the first time I stitched two-over-two on linen. It wasn't difficult once I got the hang of it. I just wish I had started the cross stitches from left to right. ARGGG!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY BLOGGING FRIENDS!

Man & Wife progress

This is a project I started for DH. Hopefully I will pick it back up and finish it. I made the mistake of starting the cross stitches from right to left, instead of left to right (I'm left-handed). It takes total focus to not stitch going the wrong direction.


Man & Wife WIP