Here is something I love:

Kate is at it again.  She asked me if she could embroider something to make a pillow.  Of course!  She drew this frog and I traced the back side of the drawing with a transfer pencil and then ironed it onto this cotton.  She worked on it for about 30 minutes a couple of days ago and then put it down.  This is why it takes her six months.

Not to be left out, Jane is working on a swan from the Sublime Stitching book.  She really wasn't interested in stitching one of her own drawings.  She is a wonderful little artist, but she likes lots of details and that doesn't always come across well with embroidery floss.

Something else I love:  the Creative Summer flickr group started by Molly.  Wow!  There are lots of great ideas over there and I plan posting as much as I can.  I am especially enamored with Mama Urchin's lily pad toss game.  Such a wonderful idea.

What creative things are you doing with your kids this summer?

Project::Sock Elephant

I made this little elephant for a birthday present.  The happy 6 year old promptly named her Ellie.  I used the pattern in this book.  Blair was the one who turned me on to it, but I was skeptical.  My only other sock animal experience was not good.  Then I saw Blair's dog and decided to give it another go.  The elephant is not perfect (my mistakes), but the pattern was well written and the book is full of cute little critters.

Color week::Blue

The sky at dusk and

me wearing a light blue shirt.  I am also wearing these beautiful earrings from Susan - you just can't see them in the shot.

In other news, I taught myself a new craft and am aching to tell you all about it.  I'll save that for another day.  Let's just say, I'm hooked.  Happy Friday!

...or it took Kate six months to embroider this shirt.  You choose the title.

She started this embroidery project in January.  The drawing is her own - I used a transfer pencil to trace it and then ironed it on to the shirt.  She picked it up now and again over the course of six months - most often when I was embroidering something.  She did the trunk first, then the pink flower, then the "hair", as she calls it.  I did the face.

When we took the hoop off, it had a nice big ring around it.  Yep, a big white circle where the hoop was and dirt and food and finger marks everywhere else.  I popped in the wash after a liberal application of stain stick and - voila! - a perfectly white tee!  Well, a white tee with a super cute smiley tree worn by a very proud five year old.

That's my girl.

While traveling last week I worked on some embroidery.

This was the perfect craft for me to take along.  It didn't take up much room in the suitcase and it was small enough that I could sit and stitch by the pool or in front of the TV.  It's easy to pick up and put down as needed and I can still carry on a conversation while stitching along.  I find it to be extremely calming also.  And who couldn't use a bit more calm in their lives?  I certainly can. 

Hillary has published 3 groups of stitchettes....I have 10 of the 12 done.  What do you bet I get the other two finished while I am waiting for my machine?  Waiting is the hardest part.

Meet my bird pillow:

I made this in my sewing class yesterday.  On Friday morning, I was unsure where I was going to put a new rose pillow.  I thought about making it for the window seat on our staircase landing, but couldn't find any fabric I was crazy about.  I thought about making it for one of the girls, but I was pretty sure the ribbon roses wouldn't hold up to being thrown on the floor and jumped on.  So the guest room it was.  It's all a bit humorous seeing that the guest room isn't even painted and has nothing in it that looks good with this pillow.  But when I get finished, I am sure it will fit right in.

I decided to embroider the bird to add a bit of interest to the insert.  I had planned on framing the image with some gingham ribbon, but my instructor suggested the Freshcut bias tape. Perfect, I thought.  I then added the ric rac.  The little ribbon roses and leaves set it all off.  I am thrilled with the end result.  I love my new pillow!

Here's a peek at the back.  Since the day I learned to put a zipper in a pillow, I haven't done it any other way.  It is surprisingly easy, looks professional and allows me to change it or clean it without any hassle at all.

So now that the pillow is finished, time to paint the room.  I'm off to spackle some holes before the Oscars!

Here's today's work in progress spurred on by the need for a little hand work before (another) sewing class tomorrow.

This little bird was adapted from one I saw last year in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine called Embellish.

Have a great weekend....spring is on its way!

Well, I'm back and very happy about it.  I did manage to find my black layering tank (along with three flashlights and tons of other random junk) in my closet.  I also emptied my dresser and cleaned out some other junk drawers and catch-all closets.  The car is loaded up with bags and boxes for Goodwill.  It feels good.

What I did not find was my zipper foot or the other missing one.  In fact, I didn't make it to the sewing room at all.  Kate had some weird fever virus and was generous enough to pass it on to her mom.  Thanks, hon.  The sickies brought my cleaning streak to a standstill and I am having a hard time getting back in the groove.  I will get to it soon, though.  I have to or the crafting will also come to a halt pretty darn fast.  And we can't have that now, can we?

I did manage to squeeze in some crafting between cleaning closets.  I have been dragging my embroidery everywhere - soccer practice, pool, carpool line.  Seeing Hillary's new stitchettes got me going on the ones I already have.

I have this vision of them all individually framed and hung as one big group on my guest room wall.  Three out of the eight I have are finished.  Of course, the winter set will be coming soon.  I imagine I will be stitching in the carpool line for awhile.

Back tomorrow with some WIP.

We spent the weekend resting.  And did I need it.  I am finally feeling better and so are the girls.  Taking naps and being lazy have a way of making a sick girl well.  So do margaritas...

My favorite recipe:

2 oz. lime juice
1.5 oz. tequila
1 oz. Cointreau
1 scant tablespoon fine sugar

Pour into a shaker filled with crushed ice.  Shake well.  Serve over the rocks into a salted glass.  Makes 1.

I got back into the crafting groove and spent some time sewing.  The girls decided to embroider:  a t-shirt for Kate and a gift for Jane.

I am in love with this smiling tree Kate drew.

And I am very impressed with Jane's design and her even stitching.  It's amazing the difference four months makes.

Happy Monday!