SewAmazin

National Embroidery Month

2021-03-27T17:21:00.003-04:00

February was National Embroidery Month and although I didn't actually have a chance to pick up a needle, I was thinking about and planning a few projects that I wanted to begin this Spring.

In-Progress: Westies Tree Skirt

I started a new Christmas tree skirt for my Westie tree back in November 2019. I managed to get as far as adding two Westies on green wool-blend felt before it was time to put away the Christmas decorations, putting my project on the back burner for 2020. I had hoped to work on it last December, but didn't manage to get to it. So my Westie tree is still standing (without ornaments) while I hopefully finish this project this Spring.

I purchased the design, called Wrapped up in Winter West Highland Terrier from Embroidery Library back in 2015, intending to stitch it on various items for my SewAmazin shop. I didn't get to do so because of my diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer beginning that year.

I always pictured the design on a tree skirt, so decided to make one for myself. Right now, the skirt has the two Westies in scarves, embroidered facing each other. I plan to add a Christmas tree applique and some snowflake buttons and designs.

Glorafilia Tartan Westie

This needlepoint kit was purchased on eBay back in 2005 for under $10 (it retails for much more than that now!). This was another one of my purchases of Westie collectibles, made after our first Westie, Wyndi, passed over the Rainbow Bridge and after puppy Keli had come to make life merrier.

The kit included the painted canvas and Anchor wool for needlepoint. The Westie is painted on the canvas in color, but the background will be stitched from a charted design.

Over the years I've accumulated the other supplies and tools needed, including stretcher bars and recently a stand for holding the canvas for stitching. I haven't stitched on needlepoint canvas like this since around 1987, so I've been reading up and refreshing my memory on needlepoint. I plan to set up the canvas and have this as a project to work on while watching TV and don't expect more than a little progress at a time. My goal would be to finish this by the end of this year. Update: I did finally start stitching the Westie's face in mid-March.

Cross and Easter Lilies Wall Hanging

I saw this in-the-hoop machine embroidery design from Sweet Pea Embroidery in a Facebook ad in January this year and could not resist adding it to my collection. I wanted the cross and lilies to balance out the other Easter decor that is primarily bunny-themed.

I think I can make this using supplies from stash and hopefully will be done in time for Easter this year.

Side note: In 1997 I stitched a design titled, Rejoice, He is Risen, which includes a stained glass look border and pink lilies.

I plan to post an update about each project again when I eventually complete them.

White Scotty Dog Ornament In-the-Hoop

2020-12-31T15:03:00.001-05:00

Here's one more finished project for the year, a Stuffed Scotty Dog In-the-Hoop machine embroidery design in two sizes from Embroidery Library.

Each year I try to add a new ornament to my Westie Christmas tree, either purchased or handmade. I haven't found one to purchase in 2020 and since I've been working my way through unfinished and unstarted projects this year, I decided it was time to finally give these little terriers a try.

I bought the design files in late 2016 and originally planned to make the ornaments for sale in my SewAmazin shop, but I didn't get to them in time for the holidays that year and put them on the to do list for the future....

The larger size is about 5.5 inches wide by 4.5 inches tall.

Here's the back side of the larger terrier:

The smaller size terrier measures about 3.5 inches wide by 3 inches tall.

Here they are side by side for comparison - don't they look like a mama and her pup?

In 2017, I purchased Embrilliance embroidery software, instead of upgrading my old 4D Pro software from HQV. In addition to being more cost effective, one reason for the switch was the ability to create cutting files for applique, compatible with my Brother Scan N Cut machine.

For this project, I used this applique feature and the dieline files from Embroidery Library to create cutting files, then copied them to the Scan N Cut machine.

I cut out the pieces for both ornaments from wool-blend felt using the Scan N Cut machine and my oldest mat with a fabric support sheet attached.

In my enthusiasm to start the embroidery, I neglected to take photos of the cut out pieces, but here's the leftover piece of felt after cutting out the smaller Scotty dog ornament.

The designs were stitched in-the-hoop using tear-away stabilizer. The first step of the embroidery design stitches an outline on the stabilizer; the front piece of the Scotty is placed inside the outline and kept in place with temporary adhesive spray. After a tackdown stitch, the next steps embroider the collar, holly leaves and berries, eye and nose. Before the final step, the hoop is removed and the back piece is attached to the back of the stabilizer using temporary adhesive spray. The last step sews the front and back together, leaving an opening under the tail for stuffing.

When the stitching was complete, I stuffed each ornament with Poly-fil and sewed the openings closed. I used my sewing machine to stitch the opening, but it would probably be a neater finish to hand sew them in the future.

After they were stuffed, I used a sharp needle to thread a 1/8 inch ribbon through the felt above the collar.

And to document the year made, I created a dog tag shape with 2020 drawn inside, using CanvasWorkspace (the Brother software used with the Scan N Cut). The year is drawn using a red pen on a scrap of yellow/gold cardstock. The tag was added to the larger terrier's ribbon hanger.

The photos for this project can be found in my Google photo album, White Scotty Dog Ornament In-the-Hoop

Let's Celebrate: Westie Counted Cross Stitch & No Sew Cube Finish

2020-11-08T13:41:00.002-05:00

This project is a counted cross stitch kit from DMC, titled Let's Celebrate, that depicts a mischievous Westie perched on top of a stack of wrapped gifts. I purchased this kit last December through the "All Things Westie Craft Marketplace" group on Facebook, from a stitcher in Connecticut who was downsizing her needlework stash.

The kit is from 2007 and appears to be still available in the UK. It's part of a series or collection called Best Friends by Sue Hall.

I started the cross stitching for this project on October 7, 2020 and all stitching was completed in a little over 3 weeks on October 29.

I originally thought that the design was stitched on black fabric, but when the kit arrived, I realized that the dark background was really half cross stitches in dark navy floss. To save stitching time, I decided to change the white aida cloth in the kit for denim blue evenweave from my stash and skip the background stitches. My evenweave wasn't labeled other than color and thread count, but I'm pretty sure it is jobelan.

Threads included in the kit were already separated and sorted which was another great time saver. The threads included two shades of DMC Light Effects floss with a metallic finish, which were new to me. Considering I hadn't done much needlework between 2003ish and just a few years ago, there are a *lot* of threads and notions that I haven't used before, LOL!

I also changed the colors of the bottom gift box from lavender blue to blue violet to look more like the cover photo and to stand out better on the denim background.

When the stitching was completed, I considered a variety of options for displaying this piece. Even though the Westie is sitting on top of a pile of gifts, I didn't feel like this was a strictly Christmas design, and I wanted to display it year round.

I thought the dimensions of the design were too large for a flatfold finish, but I didn't want to frame it, or make a pillow or a wall hanging, so I searched Pinterest for alternative finishing ideas. I found a few examples of a no sew cube finishing technique that seemed just perfect (links for two very helpful tutorials are at the end of this post).

Finishing:

The design area of this piece measures 5 x 7 inches, so I wanted a Styrofoam block about 6 x 8 inches. I couldn't find a block that size from any of my usual craft sources, so eventually I decided to buy a block and cut and glue it to size.

I ordered my Styrofoam online from the local Michaels (with in-store pickup so I wouldn't have to wait another week). I ordered a block size 2 x 4 x 12 inches and received this one, 1.9 x 3.9 x 11.8. I also ordered an inexpensive cutting tool set.

There are other tools available to cut Styrofoam with heat that are probably more accurate and less messy, but they were also much more expensive and since I don't intend on doing much crafting with foam in the future, the expense was reasonable.

I measured and marked the center of the block with a pencil, then marked the cutting edge on all four sides with low tack painters' tape as a guideline.

I cut the block into two pieces, each about 6 x 4 x 2 inches

Next, I used tacky adhesive glue along the long edge to make a new block measuring about 6 x 8 x 2. The two pieces were taped together with painters' tape while drying overnight.

When the glue was completely dry, I added 2 pieces of quilt batting to both the front and back, adhering them with quick dry tacky glue.

Before pinning the finished needlework to the foam block, I measured and basted the 6 x 8 design area to help align the top, bottom and sides. After the needlework was pinned, the backing fabric was pinned in the same manner, overlapping the needlework piece.

I chose a dark denim color quilting cotton for the backing and side strip. I felt there were enough colors in the cross stitch and that the backing should be a coordinating color without a design to distract from the Westie.

The side strip was pinned to the foam block, beginning at the bottom, then wrapped all the way around the outer edge.

The side strip was secured again at the bottom with straight pins.

I could have stopped here, but the piece didn't seem quite finished ...

... so I added a layer of red ribbon around the side strip and added a bow on top to mimic the red ribbon in the Westie's mouth.

I still felt like something was missing.... it occurred to me that maybe some kind of star-shaped buttons or charms similar to the stars in the stitched design would be the perfect finishing touch. Of course, I didn't have anything in my collection in the right shape, size or colors so I had to get a little more creative.

What I really needed was some sort of push-pin. I tried a few ideas before settling on stars made of silvery-blue glitter cardstock, cut to size and shape with my Scan N Cut machine. I cut out the front and back sides of the stars, applied adhesive to the front pieces and poked a straight pin through the back before applying the front to the back.

The star pins are arranged in a somewhat random pattern. And now the piece feels like it's finished. Unless I decide to add a couple more slightly smaller stars.....

The most difficult and time consuming part of finishing this project was cutting the Styrofoam, gluing it back together and waiting overnight for the glue to dry completely. The no sew cube finishing steps took only a couple of hours to complete.

I like this finishing technique because it was fairly simple, but also because if I change my mind, it can be changed easily. All of the fabrics and embellishments are simply pinned in place and can be replaced if desired. And the cross stitch piece can still be displayed in a traditional frame someday, if desired.

Supplies used in this project:

Completed needlework design
Cotton fabric for backing
Styrofoam block, cut to size
Quilt batting
Fabric/tacky glue, flat head pins
Ribbon and other embellishments

Finishing tutorials I used for reference:

1) Totally In Stitches: No-Sew Cube Tutorial

Blog post from November 2007, contains photos and instructions

2) Little House Needleworks: Hometown Holiday Cube Tutorial

Tutorial has good photos and step by step instructions

All of my in-progress photos of this project can be found in my Google photo album: Let's Celebrate - Westie Counted Cross Stitch Kit DMC

Friendship is a Gift to Share: Girl and Westie Cross Stitch

2020-10-11T13:33:00.002-04:00

I'm working my way through my collection of Westie needle art projects and this is my most recent finished piece.

Here's a closer view of the finished cross stitching, before framing:

According to my records, I purchased this chart from Nordic Needle on January 11, 2002, just one week after losing my first best Westie girl, Wyndi. So this one is for her.

Thinking back to that sad time, I would have bought any cross stitch chart with a Westie on it, even though I couldn't bear the thought of working on it.

The chart pattern doesn't give the design a real name, the cover only identifies it as Kim Anderson Original, published by Rico Design. I'm calling this project Friendship is a Gift to Share, because that's the name on my figurine with the same image. It depicts a little girl and her dog sitting together under an umbrella as she easts her ice cream cone.

Around June or July 2019, I picked this chart out of my collection and pulled the threads and linen. I didn't get a chance to work on it last year, for various reasons.

This year I've been focused on projects that are partially finished or have been waiting for years in my collection. This one finally had the first stitch put into it on August 31 and the last stitch on October 1, 2020. I worked on it for a few hours at a time, almost every day through September.

When I cut the linen for this project, I think I originally intended to finish it as a flatfold easel, but as I progressed with the cross stitching, the size of the design made me forget about that type of finish. The pattern called for aida cloth and lighter, creamy colors, but I chose 28 count, light mocha cashel linen from my stash, which is a bit darker than the sample on the pattern cover photo.

I changed some of the embroidery floss colors used in the design, most notably black for the features on the Westie's face and paws instead of dark brown, and for the pink and red shades of the umbrella I used more rose red colors instead of the rusty brick colors in the pattern. I also changed the medium and dark gray shading on the Westie's body because I had run out of the "old" DMC 318 and the "new" 318 just didn't work for me. (Sometime in the 1990's, DMC reformulated some colors, including grays in this color family. If you've been cross stitching as long as I have, you'll understand why the "old" 318 would have been just right.)

The color chart was difficult to read in some areas because it doesn't use any symbols to identify the floss colors, as most counted cross stitch charts do. The chart consists of blocks of color and in a few cases they were very similar in shade, making it difficult to distinguish between them. As a result, I ended up pulling out stitches more than once because I had used the wrong color floss.

I was a little disappointed that the top of the umbrella was omitted from the charted design and considered adding the missing section myself, but couldn't come up with a satisfactory alternative, so the umbrella is stitched as designed.

The 11x14 wood wall frame was purchased from Michaels. I chose it because the black and brown finish and rose gold accent stripe around the inner edge of the frame complemented my needlework. And it was available in-stock and on sale at my local store, so I didn't have to wait to frame my project. I cut the mats myself from mat boards in my collection, the bottom mat is a dark chestnut brown and the top mat is a creamy color.

A Little More Background on the Design:

In June 2005 I purchased this "Westie and Girl Ceramic Figure" on eBay (for less than $20.00). I had to have it, because it resembled the cross stitch chart I had bought a few years earlier. I didn't think much about it at the time, other than it was cute, not too pricey and it had a Westie for my collection. I wasn't familiar with the names Enesco or Kim Anderson at the time.

I used this figurine as a reference to choose the lightest color when I changed the red and pink floss colors for the umbrella in the counted cross stitch piece.

After I began writing this post, I became curious about the artist and decided to do a little research on the design. A Google search of "Enesco" yielded some background information on the company who sold these figurines and the original designer.

If you're interested, you can read a little history about the retired Pretty as a Picture brand figurines that were based on the photography of Kim Anderson, as well as some background information on the artist. I learned that the signature style of his photographs features a splash of color on a mostly black and white image.

In November 2016, I found this purse at Scranberry Coop, a vintage store in Andover, New Jersey. Once again, as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to add it to my collection, because of the other two pieces with this image.

You can see the subtle shading added to the black and white photograph. This side of the purse is embellished with rhinestones - that's how I found it, I didn't add them.

Here's a look at the back of the purse, without any bling. It's easier to see the neutral shading of the photography in this image.

Having completed the counted cross stitch piece and compared it to both the figurine and purse, I think it's amazing how well the designer managed to capture so many details in the chart and translated it to fiber and thread!

Weekly photos of the needlework in-progress can be seen in my Friendship is a Gift to Share Google photo album.

Finished: Winston the Westie Felt Plushie

2020-09-27T13:49:00.003-04:00

Winston the Westie is the last remaining unfinished project that I included in my Needlework Finishes catching up post in July. He's adorable and I'm so happy he's finally finished!

This PDF pattern was purchased from Squishy-Cute Designs on Etsy in September 2017 and I started working on it a few months later. I don't remember how I originally found this pattern - it was probably while browsing Etsy for Westie ideas for my shop.

I just had to have the pattern for Winston because just about a year earlier, in October 2016, I bought this Westie Christmas ornament at Michaels. I remember thinking it was cute, but way overdone with the glitz and glitter. I was sure I could use it as a model to make my own felt Westie ornament - and then I found Winston.

The Christmas ornament Westie is made of furry felt sprayed with glitter, has button eyes and appears to be machine sewn. It's also facing the opposite direction and is a couple inches smaller than Winston, but otherwise they are very similar in design.

Winston is made using wool-blend felt I had in my stash, purchased from JoAnn Fabrics. I cut the felt pieces in December 2017 using my Brother ScanNCut machine. It was my second cutting project after I unboxed the ScanNCut and my first attempt at cutting fabric. I remember crossing my fingers while the blade cut out the pieces and was very pleased with the result.

The PDF instructions are very detailed and include clear photos for each step. The pattern features several surface embroidery stitches using cotton embroidery floss on the felt head and body of the dog, including backstitch, lazy daisies, french knots and double running stitches. I used different color grays than were called for in the instructions, to better match my gray felt and to use what I had on hand.

In December 2017, I started backstitching the swirls on the dog's body. I had taken Winston with me to work on while I waited in a doctor's office for several hours. The lighting wasn't very good, so after I finished the swirls, I packed him up to work on later.

Flash forward to 2020: Having finished the flatfold easels, stand up figures and latch hook rug, Winston was the last in-progress project left on my list from July's catch-up post, so I thought I'd finish August on a positive note with yet another UFO completed.

I started working on Winston again on Tuesday, August 25, beginning with the lazy daisies on his ears, then his face and head. His body was completed and stuffed by Friday night, August 28.

Several pieces of the head and face are sewn together using a double running stitch; it's still hard for me to see those small stitches, especially since the colors blend in, so my hand stitching is a bit uneven and wonky in some spots. But finished is better than perfect, right?

Here's a close up view of his face and most of the embroidery stitches. I spent a lot of time trying to get the lazy daisies and french knots correctly executed and in the right positions.

Instructions also include a simple tie-on bandana made in cotton fabric. I liked the way he looked in blue in the pattern photo so I chose blue fabric with swirls on it for my bandana. I used my sewing machine to stitch the hems.

He's quite charming, isn't he? Winston stands about 8 inches tall and 5.5 inches wide. He doesn't actually stand up on his own, he needs to be propped up against something.

The bandana construction is quite simple, so I could make more bandanas and dress him up seasonally if I really wanted to...

Here's a look at his back:

Supplies I used in this project:

Wool blend felt in white, gray and black
DMC cotton embroidery floss
Sharp tapestry needle
Poly-fil polyester fiberfill
Cotton fabric for bandana

Winston's photos can be seen in my Westie Sewing, Embroidery and Crafting Google photo album

Christmas Puppy Latch Hook Rug Finished

2020-09-20T14:02:00.003-04:00

This Christmas Puppy Latch Hook Rug was included as one of my in-progress projects in my July "catching up" post on Needlework Finishes.

This kit from J.P. Coats was in my to do box for a very, very long time. I purchased it online from JoAnn.com in November 2002, and I must have started a few rows sometime before 2015 because when I picked it up again in November of that year, there were a dozen or so rows completed. I tried to work on it for a few nights, but at that time, my fingernails were weakened and starting to die off because of chemo, so I had to put it away again.

After Keli's passing, I felt compelled to work on the many Westie projects that have been in my stash for years, beginning with this one. In late December 2018, two months after we lost Keli, I worked on it steadily and managed to finished about 3-5 rows per day, until the last stitch in February 2019.

I took photos every week or so to show my progress, which also helped keep me motivated. I had reached the Westie's mouth by the end of January.

Weekly progress through mid-February

I put off finishing the raw edges for over a year because it seemed complicated at first and I needed to do more research. Since I've been working this summer on finishing all the in-progress projects from my July "catch up" post, I really couldn't find a good excuse not to tackle this one next.

I found basic latch hook rug finishing instructions on Pinterest and realized that it shouldn't be too difficult to bind the edges. Links to the tutorials I used for reference are at the end of this post.

Once I started stitching, I was surprised that it only took a little over 3 hours to finish, and then I felt a little bit guilty for procrastinating so long.

The first step was to trim the raw edges to about 1 inch away from the yarn loop stitches.

The raw edges were folded to the back, then whip-stitched through both layers of canvas, all the way around the four sides, using ecru perle cotton #8 and a large tapestry needle.

I trimmed the overlap at each corner, refolded and stitched the turn through both layers.

Here is a view of the back with the binding all finished:

The question now is, where do I keep and display this Westie rug? It's too nice to go on the floor, so until Christmas, it is resting on a couch in our "formal" living room, also known as the Westie room, which is where most of my Westie collection is displayed.

All photos for this project can be found in my Google photo album, Christmas Puppy Latch Hook Rug.

Finishing tutorials I used for reference:

1) Hands Occupied by Heidi Gustad: Basic Latch Hook Finishing For Small Projects

Blog post dated June 2018 with clear, simple instructions and photos

2) Alex Jayne: Tutorial: How to finish a Latch Hook

Blog post dated January 2014 with instructions and photos

Pansy, Clara and Henry O'Hare Stand up Figures

2020-09-13T13:53:00.003-04:00

Meet the O'Hares: Henry, Clara, Pansy and Paddy! They are all made from Lizzie Kate Special Edition Kits. Three of them were included in my July "catching up" post on Needlework Finishes.

I stitched Paddy first, back around 2003 and at some point I added a couple of the other kits to my stash.

I got at least one kit from Material Girl Kris when she was downsizing her needlework collection. The fact that I got even one kit from her was amazing, considering her affinity for bunnies!

According to the kit packaging, Pansy and Paddy are the daughter and son of Clara and Henry. Back when I stitched Paddy, I made a 3-color, double twisted cord that I must have seen demonstrated at an EGA meeting. I wasn't able to locate the instructions to make a similar cord for the recently finished bunnies, so they all have 2 color, single twist cord.

Clara and Henry O'Hare are the parents of Pansy and Paddy. They must all be farmers or at the least avid gardeners, because all of their embellishments include gardening tools. Henry does seem to be a bit overdressed for using a pitchfork...

Of the three more recently stitched pieces, Pansy was completed first, in 2016. Since they are siblings and I wanted to have some similar features on both, I used the same backing fabric for Pansy that I had used for Paddy. And yes, I still had it in my fabric collection after 15+ years!

The needlework and backing were treated in the same manner as Joe and Sally Snow. The needlework was backed with a muslin lining because I had already attached some of Pansy's embellishments and I didn't want to risk damaging them with an iron on interfacing. The backing fabric did get a layer of fusible woven interfacing.

I drew a new pattern piece for the bunnies because the needlework area wasn't quite as large as Joe and Sally. Paddy was the reference model to help determine the size and shape of the pattern. I marked the pattern piece center to help pin it straight on the needlework.

Clara and Henry were cut based on the same pattern piece.

For Clara and Henry, I chose a backing fabric in a violet and purple paisley pattern that coordinates with colors in their outfits.

Just like Joe and Sally, I used my Brother ScanNCut to cut out the bottom base pieces of cardboard. I tested the size by cutting out cardstock before moving on to the cardboard ovals, sized 3.75 inches by 3.25 inches.

I set up my ScanNCut to cut the cardboard just like Joe and Sally's base pieces. The first two cuts were fine, because I used the same piece of cardboard. For the third cut, I used a slightly different cardboard and I should have done a quick test cut first, because I ended up slicing right through the cutting mat!

The mat was repaired with some packing tape on the bottom side, so it is still usable in a pinch. It was my original mat that I've used for 2 years, is well worn and not very tacky anymore, so it needed to be replaced soon anyway. Fortunately, I had a spare on hand already, so now I'm breaking in a new mat.

The base cardboard pieces were all covered with their corresponding fabrics, the outside was glued in place, the insides were gathered.

When the bunnies were all stuffed and their base pieces were stitched in place, it was time to make the twisted cord. This was when I reached out to the Material Girls for help with getting the right colors of embroidery floss in late July.

I needed to make about 33 inches of finished cord for each bunny. I used 4 strands of 6-ply floss, about 108 inches in length of each color.

Pansy's cord was pink and violet (shown below with a scrap of Paddy's cord)

Originally I planned to use pink and purple for Clara and blue and purple for Henry, but the pink just didn't look right with Clara's dark skirt, so they both have the same two color cord. It also coordinates with their backing fabric.

While I was waiting for the embroidery floss to arrive, I worked on some of the finishing details.

Pansy's and Clara's kits included miniature baskets but not the contents to fill them. I searched online for miniature birds and vegetables and found these on Hobby Lobby's website for a reasonable price and no minimum quantities. Since I couldn't get to the local Hobby Lobby in July/August to see them in-store, I ordered online and hoped for the best.

Now I was waiting impatiently for both floss AND miniatures to arrive. But I didn't have long to wait. By mid-August I was able to finish up the final embellishments.

For Pansy's basket, I stuffed a little Spanish moss in the bottom. The miniature bird I chose is similar in color to the bird from Paddy O'Hare's hat. I painted the brown eggs with acrylic paint in a dull sandy white color before gluing them into the bottom of the basket. The flower petals are from a silk lilac stem that lost one of its blooms.

For Clara's basket, I stuffed in some Spanish moss, then glued in all the vegetables from the package.

The finished size of each O'Hare stand up figure is about 9 inches tall by 4 inches wide and 3.5 inches deep (front to back).

Pansy's watering can was stitched on by hand, her basket is attached with glue.

Clara's hat has a silk ribbon tied in a bow around the crown. The hat and basket are attached with glue.

Henry's pitchfork has a silk ribbon tied in a bow for decoration. The pitchfork is tacked on with hand stitches.

Note: Both Henry and Clara were retired designs until recently. According to the Lizzie*Kate Blog, The Bunnies are Back and have been updated with new fabrics and embellishments as of March 2020. Paddy and Pansy appear to be still in retirement.

Recap of supplies used in this project:

Completed needlework designs, kit embellishments
Cotton fabric for backing
Fusible interfacing
Cotton muslin lining
Stiff cardboard for bottom base
Poly-fil polyester fiberfill
Cotton embroidery floss for twisted cord, 2 skeins each color
Twisted cord drill
Fabric glue, temporary adhesive spray
Miniature birds, eggs, vegetables

More in-progress photos can be found in my Google photo album, Stand Up Figure Finishing for Counted Cross Stitch

Joe Snow and Sally Snow Stand up Figures

2020-09-06T13:49:00.002-04:00

Joe and Sally Snow were two Lizzie Kate Special Edition Kits (now retired) that I included in my July "catching up" post on Needlework Finishes. They were in my stash for quite a few years before I completed the cross stitching in 2018.

After Needle Nick, I decided to continue with the Christmas/Winter theme, so Sally and Joe were the next two stand up figures to be finished.

Their assembly process was similar to Nick's with a few slight differences.

First, I couldn't fuse interfacing to the back of the completed needlework because I had already attached some of the buttons and embellishments from the kit, and I was afraid they would melt or be distorted by a hot iron. So instead of interfacing, I used a piece of cotton muslin fabric, cut almost to the same size as the linen. The muslin was "stuck" to the back of the needlework with temporary adhesive spray.

I used Needle Nick's paper pattern to cut out the front and back pieces for Sally and Joe.

This is the needlework side with muslin lining piece, pinned to the backing fabric.

The backing fabric did get a layer of fusible woven interfacing before cutting. Here it is, pinned to the needlework piece.

After sewing the front and back together, I clipped the curves carefully, then turned up the bottom hem about 1 inch below the cross stitch bottom of each figure.

The bottom hem was hand basted on each. After turning right side out, I carefully pressed the side seams toward the back.

At this point, my project paused for a few days. I had used almost all of the fiberfill in my stash to stuff Needle Nick and needed to buy more for the remaining stand up figures.

When I looked online at my usual local shopping sources (Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics) their websites indicated that they didn't have ANY fiberfill available in-store or for curbside pickup. It was available online only - so I ordered enough to finish my projects, then waited impatiently several days for the fiberfill to arrive (and did the prep work for the next 3 stand up figures).

The next change I made from Needle Nick's assembly was the base cardboard piece. For Nick's base, I traced around the pattern piece from the kit instructions, then cut it out using scissors. The oval shape wasn't exactly symmetrical and the cardboard edges were a little rough.

For Sally and Joe, I decided to try cutting their cardboard bases using my Brother ScanNCut machine. The machine's built in oval shape could be adjusted to the exact length and width I needed, so no tracing or scanning were needed. I set the size of the oval to 5 inches wide by 4 inches deep and tested the cut on plain cardstock before moving on to the cardboard.

It took a bit of trial and error to come up with the right blade depth and cutting pressure to cut through my cardboard pieces, but eventually I got two very nice pieces to use. I ended up using the Deep Cut Blade, with the cutting pressure set at 7 or 8, and even then I had to cut each piece twice to get through the cardboard. But the end result was worth it!

The bases were covered with pieces of fabric. I glued the fabric to the outside of the cardboard and simply ran a gathering stitch by hand on the inside.

On Needle Nick, I had glued both sides, but that made it more difficult to sew the base to the figure because there was no "give" to the fabric to take a stitch easily. With the inside gathering pulled tight, but unattached, it was easier to hand sew in place.

Here is Joe's base piece sewn in place using the ladder stitch. It's not quite invisible, but will be covered by twisted cord later. I left a small section un-stitched at each side seam for concealing the ends of the twisted cord.

I chose snowflake fabric in red and blue colorways to go with the snowman theme, Sally in red snowflakes and Joe in the blue version.

When it was time to make the twisted cord, I spent a lot of time deliberating over the colors to use for cord for all six stand up figures, scouring my stash of embroidery threads for the "right" colors to match both the needlework and backing fabrics.

After I had made my color choices, I realized I didn't have enough floss to make cord for any of my stand ups. A trip to the local Michaels was in order, and I found the right colors in a sufficient quantity only for Needle Nick. The colors I wanted for the remaining stand ups were either out of stock or only a single skein was available. So I went home and started looking for online sources of DMC floss.

Online shopping wasn't successful either. There were 5 colors I wanted to use, and every online shop I visited either had only 4 of the 5 or didn't specifically state that they had them in stock, but cautioned that they might be backordered.

In frustration, I reached out to my Material Girls, Denise, Kris and Judy, hoping that maybe they'd have one or two skeins in their stashes, or at least a tip on where to shop locally. And the MGs delivered big time!

Kris didn't have them herself, but she welcomed an excuse to go to her local Hobby Lobby in North Carolina, where she found exactly what I needed and mailed them up;
Denise didn't have them either, but she was in touch with another Material Girl, Michelle from Pennsylvania, who added them on to her own order of floss and sent them to me;
and Judy had 2 floss cards full of the blue floss I needed for Joe and Sally and mailed them both to me.

I needed about 40 inches of cord each for Joe and Sally, planning to have 4-5 inches extra. I used 3 strands of 6-ply embroidery floss, about 120 inches in length for each color, to make the twisted cord.

To find the precise length of finished cord needed, I pinned it around the side seams and base of the figure.

One end of the cord is tucked into the opening I left on the side near the base.

Before cutting off the excess cord, I saturated about 1 inch with glue and let it dry completely.

I used matching embroidery floss to sew the cord to the figure by hand, traveling over the side seam from one bottom edge, up and over the top to the other side, then around the base. The single strand of floss was "buried" inside the twist of the cord as I stitched.

After the cord was attached, I set Joe and Sally aside for a couple of weeks while I worked on the other three stand ups. The final embellishments were added in mid-August.

Joe's carrot nose, scarf and broom were stitched on by hand, according to the kit instructions. His ear muffs were glued on last.

Sally's carrot nose, head bow and shovel were stitched on by hand as directed in the kit instructions. Her wreath and ribbon were glued in place as the final step.

Their finished size is approximately 9 inches tall, 5.5 inches wide and 4 inches deep (front to back at the base).

The remaining three stand up figures, Pansy, Clara and Henry O'Hare, will be featured in my next post.

Recap of supplies used in this project:

Completed needlework designs, kit embellishments
Cotton fabric for backing
Fusible interfacing
Cotton muslin lining
Stiff cardboard for bottom base
Poly-fil polyester fiberfill
Cotton embroidery floss for twisted cord, 2 skeins each color
Twisted cord drill
Fabric glue, temporary adhesive spray

More in-progress photos can be found in my Google photo album, Stand Up Figure Finishing for Counted Cross Stitch

Needle Nick Stand up Figure

2020-08-30T13:25:00.001-04:00

Needle Nick is the first of 6 stand up figures I included in my July "catching up" post on Needlework Finishes.

Nick was stitched using DMC and hand dyed cotton floss on 14 count Sand Lincoln cloth evenweave fabric, embellished with beads, buttons, jingle bells and brass charms provided in the limited edition kit by Lizzie Kate. The cross stitching was completed in Fall 2017. I started finishing the stand up figure in mid-July and finished in mid-August of this year.

Needle Nick's kit included detailed instructions to construct the stand up figure so I used him as a guide to finish the other five stand up figures.

The kit came with backing fabric as well as a pattern piece for cutting the main figure shape and the bottom base piece. I traced both pattern pieces onto Pattern Ease for easier pinning and cutting.

Before cutting out the main figure shape, I added fusible woven interfacing, Pellon SF-101, to the back of both the needlework and backing fabric, as directed in the kit instructions.

Here are the front sides of both the needlework and backing fabric after cutting them to shape.

These pieces were pinned with right sides together, I used extra pins around the curves.

The front and back pieces were stitched together using my sewing machine with regular sewing thread and a 1/4 inch seam allowance. I sewed from the top of the figure down to the bottom edge on one side, then flipped the piece over and sewed that side from the top down. After pressing the seam, I clipped the curves before turning the piece right side out.

The piece was turned right side out and the side seam was pressed carefully to the back.

The bottom edge was turned under about 1 inch below Nick's boots and basted by hand to hold it in place while stuffing the figure.

The figure was stuffed firmly with Poly-fil premium polyester fiberfill. When it was about 80% stuffed, I checked the size of the bottom base pattern piece to be sure it would fit.

I used the pattern piece in the kit instructions to cut the bottom base piece out of stiff cardboard with craft scissors, then I cut the bottom fabric slightly larger than the cardboard.

When I cut the backing fabric earlier, I neglected to leave enough at either end to cover the bottom piece, so I had to stitch two scraps together to get a large enough piece. The seam runs lengthwise along the center of the base.

The fabric edges were glued to the back side of the cardboard.

I finished stuffing the figure with Poly-fil to the very bottom, until I couldn't add any more stuffing.

The bottom base piece was hand stitched to the figure almost invisibly, using the ladder stitch and regular thread, leaving an opening at the side seam.

I wanted to make twisted cord in red and green using cotton embroidery floss, but I didn't have enough skeins in my collection to make the length of cord needed. So I set Needle Nick aside and worked on the other stand up figures for the next two weeks.

I didn't want to make more than one shopping trip for floss, so I waited until the other figures were almost finished. When I did finally get to Michaels, they had most of the floss colors I wanted for all 6 stand up figures, but I wasn't able to find them all. Fortunately, I was able to get enough red and green floss for Nick.

When I was finally able to get back to work on Nick, I made a little over 36 inches of two color cord, then pinned it in place to measure the exact length needed.

Before cutting off the excess cord, I saturated about 1 inch with glue and let it dry completely.

One end of the cord was tucked into the opening at the side seam. I used matching thread to sew the cord to the figure by hand, traveling over the side seam from one bottom edge, up and over the top to the other side, then around the base.

I could have used glue to attach the cord, but I felt the end result was more precise with needle and thread.

After the cord was attached, I set Nick aside again for a couple of weeks while I worked on the other stand ups. The final embellishments were added in mid-August.

Nick's basket and greenery were included in the kit, but I replaced the greenery with my own and added some mini pine cones and a tiny gift box. The scissor charm was also included in the kit. I attached the basket to the figure with some hand stitching and glue.

I worked on Joe and Sally Snow after Needle Nick was almost complete, while I was waiting to buy embroidery floss for the twisted cord. There are slight differences in the way I put them together, so they will have their own step by step post.

Note: Needle Nick was a retired design, but according to the Lizzie*Kate Blog, Needle Nick and Flossie Claus are Back and available for purchase. The kits have been updated with new fabrics and embellishments as of November 2019.

Recap of supplies used in this project:

Completed needlework design, kit embellishments
Cotton fabric for backing
Fusible interfacing
Stiff cardboard for bottom base
Poly-fil polyester fiberfill
Cotton embroidery floss for twisted cord, 2 skeins each color
Twisted cord drill
Fabric glue

More in-progress photos can be found in my Google photo album, Stand Up Figure Finishing for Counted Cross Stitch

Flatfold Easel Finish: Rabbit Roundabout

2020-08-23T14:06:00.000-04:00

The Rabbit Roundabout Kit by Heart in Hand Needleart was another one of my in-progress, partially finished pieces from my "catching up" post on Needlework Finishes.

The little rabbit sampler was next on my list of finishes after the Patriotic Cracker flatfold easel. I followed similar steps to complete this one, so didn't take any photos while in progress.

This was another little kit that spent years in my stash until I pulled it out to work on it in February-March 2019. The sampler was stitched using hand-dyed cotton floss on linen, embellished with buttons provided in the kit.

The blue-green polka dot fabric was a remnant from my collection and is a perfect match to the egg color in the sampler. For the twisted cord, I used 3 different shades of dark brown cotton embroidery floss to simulate the variations in color of the overdyed threads.

The finished size is about 3.5 inches wide by 5.75 inches high. The mat board and cardboard pieces were cut about 5/8 inch larger than the cross stitch design area.

This project was finished in mid-July and took about 2 days to complete, most of the elapsed time was due to waiting for glue to dry between each step.

You can see more photos in my Flatfold Easel Finishing for Counted Cross Stitch Google photo album

Flatfold Easel Finish: Patriotic Cracker Kit

2020-08-23T13:50:00.001-04:00

In my "catching up" post on Needlework Finishes, I included this patriotic mini sampler as one of my in-progress, partially finished pieces. After I began writing those catch-up posts, I felt compelled to finally finish those needlework pieces instead of letting them sit in a box for who knows how long.

Because of my MBC diagnosis and subsequent treatments, I haven't been able to do much at home. Just before my birthday, I decided to stop worrying about what I can't do and spend my time doing something I might enjoy, and the mini sampler flatfold easel was first on my list.

The Patriotic Cracker kit by Bent Creek is a retired design and had been in my stash for years before I stitched it. The name of this design is a bit of a mystery to me - the patriotic theme is obvious, but I think it was called a "cracker" because of the way the kit was packaged. Perhaps it's a play on words for firecracker?

This mini sampler was stitched using hand-dyed cotton floss on linen, and was embellished with buttons provided in the kit. The counted cross stitching was completed in May-June 2019.

Before I could even begin this flatfold easel project, I had to order glue from the local Michaels, because all of my fabric and craft glues were so old they had dried up and were unusable. Thank goodness Michaels had re-opened and offered curbside pickup so I didn't have to wait a week for a delivery!

I followed similar steps as the Home Chilly Home flatfold easel. This patriotic sampler flatfold was a bit easier because it was square.

I cut 2 pieces of stiff cardboard, 2 pieces of mat board and 2 pieces of cotton batting. The cotton batting was glued to the 2 pieces of mat board and trimmed to size after the glue was dry.

The mat board and cardboard were cut 5.5 inches square, which is about 5/8 inch larger than the cross stitch design area on all sizes.

I chose a patriotic paisley fabric backing from my collection of remnants because the colors complemented the design of the needlework. This fabric was used to make lots of pet scrunchie neck ruffles for my SewAmazin shop and I had a remnant piece just large enough to complete this project.

I cut 3 pieces of fabric: 2 pieces were cut 2 inches larger than the cardboard, the third piece was cut about 1.5 inches longer than the others on one side.

The two square pieces of fabric were glued to the 2 pieces of cardboard (left side of photo below). The third piece of fabric was glued to cover the batting side of one of the mat board pieces, leaving the long edge loose (bottom right of photo below).

The mat board piece covered with fabric is the back of the easel; the extra fabric is used as the "hinge" to join the front to the back. A piece of fabric also connects the front to back at the bottom of the easel.

Here are all the pieces just before the final assembly - first row: mat board covered with fabric with hinge at the top (this will be the back of the easel), mat board with batting (this will be the needlework front of the easel), bottom connecting piece; second row: two cardboard pieces covered in fabric.

The needlework was centered on the batting side of the front mat board. The raw edges were glued to the back of the mat board.

The photo below shows the Back piece with the hinge on the left, the Front piece with needlework on the right. The top edge of needlework Front meets the hinge side of the Back.

The hinge part of the fabric is glued to the back of the needlework piece at the top edge; the bottom connecting piece is glued to the back of the needlework piece along the bottom edge.

I neglected to take photos of the next steps. The cardboard pieces were glued to the back of the mat board pieces, sandwiching the bottom piece between the two Back pieces.

The side view of the finished easel helps to illustrate how all the pieces came together.

I made twisted cord using embroidery floss in colors that coordinate with the needlework and the backing fabric and glued it around the front edges, covering the space between the needlework and cardboard back.

The finished back:

The finished front:

This project took about 2 days to complete, mainly because I had to wait for the glue to dry completely in between each step.

Recap of supplies used in this project:

Completed needlework design, trimmed to size
2 pieces of mat board, cut to size
2 pieces of stiff cardboard, cut to size
2 pieces of cotton batting, cut to size
cotton backing fabric, remnants
fabric glue
embroidery floss
Twisted Cord Drill

Tutorials I used for reference:

1) Learn to Finish with the Twisted Stitcher: The Flatfold...

Blog post dated January 2011 with detailed instructions and photos of each step

2) Meari's Musings: Flatfold Tutorial

Blog post dated August 2008 with instructions and photos

See more photos in my Flatfold Easel Finishing for Counted Cross Stitch Google photo album

Flatfold Easel Finish: Home Chilly Home

2020-08-16T14:13:00.003-04:00

In my July "catching up" post on Needlework Finishes, I included this Home Chilly Home project. This post includes the in-progress photos and steps I followed to finish the needlework as a flatfold easel.

Background: Material Girl Kris was clearing out her stash of needlework and quilting kits a few years ago, and I just had to have this one by The Silver Needle (December 2008 Secret Needle Night Kit) because it has a Westie on it. The design features a variety of fibers stitched on an evenweave fabric. The cross stitching was finished in July 2017 and the flatfold easel finish was completed between December 24, 2017 and January 1, 2018.

This kit did not come with finishing instructions and when I looked for them at The Silver Needle website, I discovered that too much time had passed and they were no longer posted.

I decided to search Pinterest for tutorials on the flatfold easel finish for needlework and found several useful blog posts (links for the two sources I used are at the bottom of this post). I used elements from each tutorial and improvised when necessary.

Referring to the photo included in the kit, I initially created a pattern piece by drawing a rounded rectangular shape using a ruler and a round embroidery hoop, but my drawings were not quite right. That's when I decided to use my Brother ScanNCut machine.

I had finally taken the machine out of the box a few weeks earlier and was ready to test it out on a project. I was able to create a much more pleasing shape using the built in ScanNCut software and tested the shape and size by cutting the pieces out of cardstock - and they were perfect!

One of the flatfold easel tutorials recommends using acid free mat board, and since I have lots of mat board scraps in my stash, I attempted to cut it on the ScanNCut. Apparently mat board is too thick for my particular machine (or because of my inexperience with cutting, I didn't set up the machine correctly), and it succeeded in cutting only part of the shapes, so I had to trim them by hand. I was much more successful cutting stiff cardboard.

For this project, I used 2 pieces of mat board and 2 pieces of cardboard

Next, I traced and cut two pieces of cotton batting and attached them to the back side of the mat board piecess with glue, letting them dry completely. One of the flatfold easel tutorials uses spray adhesive and the other uses fabric glue. I used either fabric glue or fusible web to adhere various pieces together.

I chose the fabric for this project because it was blue and had snowflakes, and I thought the color coordinated well with the needlework design

From the fabric, I cut 3 rectangles size 7 x 8.5 inches and applied fusible web to the wrong side, then trimmed it to fit the cardboard pieces.

Two of the fabric pieces were fused to the 2 cardboard pieces with the edges wrapped around the wrong side, trimming the corners as needed.

The third piece of fabric covered one of the mat board pieces, on the batting side.

Originally I thought I would use the fusible web to attach the mat board piece to the cardboard backing; this is when I realized that it wouldn't work because of the fabric wrapped around the edges. So I fused the fabric edges to mat board and set it aside.

The completed cross stitch piece was mounted on the batting side of the other mat board, attaching the fabric to the back side with fabric glue.

Next I made the fabric "hinge" piece for the top and the connecting piece at the bottom. The cut pieces were folded with the long edges to the center and secured with fusible web.

The hinge piece was glued to the wrong side at the top of both mat board pieces.

The bottom connecting piece was glued to the wrong side at the bottom of the back (non needlework) mat board piece.

I let it dry completely, then glued the wrong sides of the cardboard pieces to the wrong sides of the mat board pieces, sandwiching the bottom connecting piece between the needlework mat board and it's cardboard backing.

Here's a side view of all the pieces after the glue dried:

And here is a top view of the hinge:

For the finishing details, I made twisted cord from cotton and metallic embroidery floss, and added a sheer blue ribbon bow and a silver color snowflake charm.

The twisted cord is glued to the edges of the front piece only, covering the space where the mat board front and cardboard backing pieces meet.

The bow and charm are attached to the top edge by hand with needle and thread.

Recap of supplies used for this project:

Completed needlework design
2 pieces acid free mat board, cut to shape
2 pieces thin cardboard, cut to shape
cotton batting
fusible web
fabric glue
sheer ribbon
snowflake charm
floss and fibers for twisted cord
needle, thread
Brother Scan N Cut machine
Twisted Cord Drill

Finishing tutorials I used for reference:

1) Learn to Finish with the Twisted Stitcher: The Flatfold...

Blog post dated January 2011 with detailed instructions and photos of each step

2) Meari's Musings: Flatfold Tutorial

Blog post dated August 2008 with instructions and photos

Fabric E-collar for Keli - June 2017

2020-08-09T11:00:00.005-04:00

In my recent "catching up" post on Sewing Finishes, I included this Fabric Elizabethan Collar that I made for Keli in June 2017.

Keli had a lump on her nose, right between her eyes since 2015. It became quite large and would bleed frequently, required constant cleaning and became even larger through 2017. I finally convinced my vet to remove it despite her age (15 at the time) because she was in relatively good health and the lump was becoming a quality of life issue for both of us. The lump turned out to be malignant, so I have no regrets for putting her through the surgery.

To keep her comfortable post surgery, I made her a fabric e-collar to replace the plastic one from the vet. She didn't really like either e-collar, but she didn't fuss as much and slept better with the fabric version.

I used the plastic collar from the vet to make a template and constructed the collar with batik fabric and fusible Peltex firm interfacing, with Velcro closures.

The plastic e-collar from the vet is adjustable to fit different size dogs; I used the size that fit Keli so there shouldn't need to be size adjustments.

The plastic e-collar is essentially a half circle. I traced the outline onto Pattern Ease for half of the collar, then divided that into 2 pieces for sewing. I added 1/2 inch seam allowances to the inner and outer circle edges and at the side seams.

This botanical batik fabric was gifted to me; I used it because it was pretty and I thought the beige background wouldn't look too shabby if it got dirty. I cut 2 of each pattern piece for both the inside and outside of the collar. I stitched the pieces with right sides together, then pressed the seams open.

Using the original plastic collar, I traced and cut a single piece of Pellon 2-sided Fusible Peltex, then fused one side to the wrong side of the outside fabric piece.

Next, I stitched the outside to the inside fabric with right sides together, around all edges as close as possible to the edge of the Peltex, leaving the inside circle open. I carefully turned the collar right side out and pressed the stitched edges, making sure both sides were completely fused to the Peltex.

Then I folded the inner neck circle edges to the inside, matching the inside and outside pieces. I used small Wonder Clips instead of pins to secure the pieces together for stitching.

I stitched the inner neck as close to the edge as possible, then stitched again 1/4 inch inside. The last step was to attach the Velcro to opposite sides at each end of the collar. I used a type of Velcro that sticks to itself, which is a little softer and there is no hook or loop side.

I made the e-collar custom sized for Keli but if I needed to make it smaller, I would either use wider Velcro or add extra strips on one side.

Here is the finished e-collar outside:

And this is the inside:

When we went back for her first post surgery check-up, our vet and the staff were very impressed with Keli's fabric e-collar! Here she is about 7 weeks later, her incisions were healing well and her fur was growing back nicely.

We've used the e-collar for Penny on occasion, although it's a bit loose on her, I really should add a second strip of Velcro to adjust the size ... but then I'd have to go shopping, because I don't seem to have any more of it!

Recap of supplies and notions for this project:

Plastic E-collar, adjusted to size
Pattern Ease tracing material, about 1/2 yard
Cotton fabric, about 1/2 - 3/4 yard
Pellon Peltex Ultra Firm Two-Sided Fusible Interfacing, about 1/2 yard
Iron and heat safe surface (for fusing Peltex)
Clover Wonder Clips, small
Velcro strips
Sewing machine and all-purpose thread, 90 needle, Sharp or Topstitch

This project took the better part of a day to plan, prep and complete.

Screen Pet Gate - May 2017

2020-08-09T10:42:00.000-04:00

In my July "catching up" post on Sewing Finishes, I included this Screen Pet Gate made in May 2017. This post contains the in-progress photos and steps I followed to construct the screen.

This project was inspired by a tutorial for a DIY fabric baby gate I found while scrolling through Pinterest. I thought the concept would work well as a temporary, removable pet gate for our deck, but I didn't follow the tutorial because it was intended for indoor use. Since my "gate" was meant for outdoor use, I came up with my own instructions.

For years we used a metal exercise pen and left it up all year round to keep the dogs from running down the ramp ahead of us or so that they could sit outside and sun themselves unsupervised for a few minutes. Eventually the metal pen rusted out and we disposed of it.

I had pet screening from Home Depot left over from making my DIY Screen Curtain back in 2012. Besides using up my stash, it's weather resistant and easy to see through, so the added benefit is that Keli and Penny could sit at the top of the ramp and still look out over the yard to watch the squirrels and bunnies. The screen remnant was 36 inches wide x 32 inches high, just the right size.

The edges of the screen are wrapped with black marine vinyl that I bought as a remnant at JoAnn Fabrics. I wanted a 2 inch border of vinyl, so cut 4 strips about 4 inches wide, then trimmed 2 pieces to 32 inches long and 2 pieces to 36 inches long.

Starting with the left and right sides of the screen, I used large Wonder Clips (instead of pins or tape) to hold the folded vinyl in place.

With the Teflon foot on my sewing machine, regular sewing thread and a long stitch length, I sewed along the cut edge of the vinyl. I believe I also used a size 100 needle (either a Sharp or Topstitch).

After sewing the vinyl to the screen, I top-stitched along the folded edge for added strength and I thought it looked more "finished".

Here is one side with the stitching complete; the process was repeated for the opposite side.

After the sides were done, I repeated the process again for top and bottom, overlapping the vinyl at the corners

I stitched slowly at the corners where the vinyl overlapped with 4 layers.

Here is a finished corner:

My original plan was to install large grommets on the sides of the screen and use bungee cords with hooks to attach the screen to our deck railings. After some deliberation, I wasn't sure my grommets would be sturdy enough and I doubted they were weather proof. Plus I would have had to buy the bungee cords; since I was sewing from my stash, I decided to use black Velcro strips instead.

For the final sewing step, I added 3 sets of Velcro bundling strap strips to each side, making sure they were long enough so that the ends overlap by several inches. The bundling strap sticks to itself; one side is the "hook" and the other side is the "loop".

The Velcro was stitched securely to the screen using a box shape.

We used this screen pet gate throughout 2017 and part of 2018; we haven't really needed it for Penny since Keli's been gone, so it's been in storage the past 2 years.

Recap of supplies and notions used in this project:

Pet Screening, cut to size (purchased at Home Depot)
Marine Vinyl remnant, about 1/2 yard, cut to size needed (purchased at JoAnn Fabrics)
Velcro One-Wrap Roll, Cut-to-Length Bundling Strap
Sewing Machine with Teflon foot
All-purpose black sewing thread
Clover Wonder Clips, large

Since all the materials were already in my stash as leftovers from other projects or remnants, this project cost only my time, which was about half a day.

Paint and Paper

2020-08-02T14:18:00.006-04:00

This is the last in a series of "catching up" posts to bring my blog up to date with my crafty projects from the past several years. (See my recent Blogoversary 2020 post for an explanation.)

Included in this very long post are some of the painting and paper projects I've worked on recently. They are organized somewhat chronologically, first the paintings, then the paper crafts. Because this is such a long post, I've tried to limit the photos shared to my favorites.

PAINT:

2019

Westie Ornaments for Wyndi & Keli

February: When Keli was still a puppy, I bought two unfinished wood terrier-shaped ornaments at JoAnn Fabrics. They were always intended to be in honor of Wyndi (our first Westie) and Keli, and I always planned to paint them someday. They were hung on our Westie tree every year as plain wood ornaments and I never found the time to paint them until I was putting away the decorations after our first Christmas without Keli.

At first I was unsure how to paint the stars and the terriers without getting paint on the wire that connects them. It should have been obvious, but eventually it occurred to me that I could remove the wires while painting, then re-assemble the pieces when finished. I also removed the eyelet screw with the jute hanger at the top of each.

Once that mental obstacle was removed, painting was easy to do. The bodies took several coats of white acrylic paint, the noses are black paint. Their eyes are stick-on black crystals. The stars are two different shades of pink. I used my ScanNCut to cut out their initials, then glued them to hearts punched out of cardstock.

For the back of each, I printed out their names and dates. In this photo, you can see how the wires attach the pieces together.

LET'S PAINT WITH PLAID:

The Backstory: Over the years I've painted walls with faux finishes and objects like furniture, picture frames, ornaments and other decorative pieces. But I had never painted on a canvas until I attended a "paint your pet" party in 2013 and tried to paint Keli and Penny. Ever since then I've wanted to try again because I didn't really have enough time to finish the original and was never happy with it.

In Fall 2017 I happened to see a promotion from Plaid Crafts on Facebook for Let's Paint Live, a one-hour, livestreamed paint along for a design called Moonlight Harvest. It didn't look terribly difficult, so I shopped for the supplies and when it came time to watch the livestream, I was interrupted by dog stuff -- so I had to watch the video on my own and paint later. As it turns out, this is the best way to approach each painting, because you can stop the video after each step and catch up (which isn't possible with the livestream).

The Let's Paint Live events are held once a month on Facebook. About a year after Moonlight Harvest, in September 2018, I spied another promotion for Let's Paint Live, with Donna Dewberry's Pick of the Patch. This time I watched the livestream before shopping for supplies and then painted on my own a few days later. I like how this project turned out, but it was my first time trying Donna's One Stroke technique, loading 2 colors on the brush at one time and using pressure to achieve shading and highlights at the same time, and I'd say the results were fair.

Let's Paint Flowers of the Month

March 2019: Keli's birthday was in March and I was having a really hard time after losing her a few months earlier. About mid-March, I happened to see a Plaid promotion for the kickoff of the Let's Paint One Stroke Flower of the Month series with Donna Dewberry.

After watching the video for the first month, January Carnations, I thought it might be something I could do for fun and as art therapy, so I ordered the kit. It contained all the Folk Art Multi Surface acrylic paints needed to paint all 12 flowers of the month, brushes and other supplies as well as the instruction sheets for each flower. I also ordered her double loading palette (used for loading the brush with 2 colors of paint at the same time) and a water basin.

The kit had been backordered for a couple of weeks before I finally was able to place my order, and I later learned that Donna was personally painting roses and a greeting on each kit folder.

Let's Paint Studio Lessons

April 2019: A few weeks into the Let's Paint Flowers of the Month, I discovered Plaid's Let's Paint Studio Lessons and ordered that kit, too. This series of lessons is very different from the One Stroke and several of the projects appealed to me.

Let's Paint Flower of the Month - January Carnations

April 2019: Plaid didn't start posting the videos for this series until March, and since I didn't receive my kit until the end of the month, I worked on the first flower during April.

Donna's videos show her using 12x12 inch canvases, but I used a 10x10 canvas because that's what I had at the time. I practiced the strokes on a sheet of watercolor paper before painting on the canvas and was pleasantly surprised at how well this first attempt turned out. The hardest parts for me were the leaves.

Let's Paint Flower of the Month - February Violets

April 2019: This was also painted on a 10x10 canvas. Again, I felt that the leaves were the most difficult part, trying to get them in the right direction, shape and color mix. Flower petals and placement were a little bit of a challenge too.

Let's Paint Live - Hello Spring

April 2019: This project was featured in the monthly Let's Paint Live event in April. The project photo appealed to me because of the blue vase and neutral background, the colors reminded me of the window treatment in my powder room.

For this painting, the background color was applied with a brush, but the rest of the design was applied using a plastic palette knife. And the petals were finger painted a bit. At times, the paint strokes using the palette knife were not what I intended, so my version didn't turn out exactly as I expected. Regardless, the class was an interesting experience. We used regular Folk Art acrylic paint on a 12x12 canvas.

Let's Paint Flower of the Month - April Sweat Peas

June 2019: I spent days practicing the strokes for this flower before painting on the canvas. I still struggle with the placement of the flowers and leaves, but this was an improvement over the others. I'm still not very confident with the loopy tendrils. This painting uses Folk Art Multi-surface paints on 10x10 canvas.

Let's Paint Flower of the Month - June Peace Rose

June 2019: I worked on the Peace Rose painting in June. In July I had lunch with the Material Girls and decided to paint the roses on cards for them. I used Folk Art Multi-surface paints on card stock and canvas paper, applied to 5x7 greeting cards

Let's Paint with Plaid - Lunch N Learn - Purple Coneflowers

August 2019: Around mid-June Plaid started posting weekly live lessons called Lunch N Learn in their Let's Paint with Plaid Facebook group. Each lesson runs about an hour (or longer) and provides detailed, interactive instruction. They publish a pattern sheet for each project in advance.

In August, one of the projects featured purple coneflowers, and since I've grown them in my garden for years, I was looking forward to trying this one. One of the objectives of the project was to be a bit free and fanciful with the background. Folk Art Acrylic Paints on 10x10 canvas

Let's Paint Flower of the Month - September Morning Glories

September 2019: I was sick with a throat infection in late July thru August, so skipped those months while I recovered. When I was well enough, I picked up with the series in September with these blue morning glories. I like the finished piece, the blue flowers were interesting, but I still find the leaves are a challenge. Folk Art Multi-surface paints on 12x12 canvas

Let's Paint with Plaid - Lunch N Learn - Boo Pumpkin

October 2019: The Lunch N Learn lessons are so interesting because they are always using some new technique, tool or texture to paint on! This time it was a pumpkin on a burlap canvas. This lesson also focused on shading and highlighting the sections of the pumpkin for dimension. Folk Art Acrylic Paints on 8x8 burlap canvas

2020

Let's Paint with Plaid - Lunch N Learn - Hydrangea

May 2020: In April, my vision was impaired, which led me to the ophthalmologist and ultimately my oncologist. I was treated with radiation to my brain, and by May my vision was starting to improve a little.

The lesson for this Hydrangea painting emphasized a free form, loose style of painting, which I thought would be perfect for me with my limited vision. And I love blue hydrangeas, so I had to try it. The lesson used a linen canvas but I used what I had on hand and tinted the canvas backgrounds to imitate the look of linen. The first time I painted this design I used an 8x8 inch canvas board. It turned out nicely so I decided to paint it again on a 12x12 canvas.

Let's Paint with Plaid - Lunch N Learn - Funky Nest

May 2020: The lesson on this painting was another that was supposed to be free form and loose, using a palette knife to apply the paint. I didn't have any canvas small enough for the project so I painted on a 5x7 piece of canvas paper, then applied it to a piece of mat board for display. I didn't have all of the colors listed on the project sheet, so mixed and matched from my collection. This project reminded me of the robins that nested in our holly bush, so I changed the color of the eggs to a pretty robin's egg blue.

Here's my robin's nest photo from 2017:

Let's Paint Studio Lessons - Apple

July 2020: I started this lesson in 2019, but didn't get to finish it until recently. This lesson calls for painting on a piece of copper sheeting that has been treated with a patina medium. Although I found some copper sheeting, I was reluctant to use it until I had practiced painting the design.

Instead of the copper, I painted a 6x6 inch canvas board with several coats of metallic copper acrylic paint. Then it waited patiently for me to find time to finish it. When I picked it up again in July, I decided the copper paint was too shiny, so I aged it a bit with some dark brown colors. Then I created a faux patina using a synthetic sea sponge and finished by flyspecking a slightly darker color.

The lesson sheet includes the line drawing, which I traced onto the canvas after it was dry. The video lesson provides very specific instructions for painting each section of the apple, adding shading and highlighting for contour and dimension. Considering my vision is still a little blurry, I'm very pleased with this finished piece.

Painted Button Wall Decor

May 2020: I don't really remember when I first conceived of this project... it was several years ago, shortly after Hobby Lobby opened in Totowa, because I remember seeing buttons made in China for sale and decided I'd rather make my own from USA supplies.

Originally I bought just the three 3-inch wood rounds, but as time passed I picked up a 4-inch and 6-inch round for variety. Since my MBC diagnosis, I'm determined to either finish or pitch whatever unfinished projects I have, so the buttons finally got painted.

I chose colors that go with the window treatment in my sewing room. Folk Art Acrylic painted on wood plaques, varnished, buttons glued on for holes. Mounted on the wall of my sewing room with picture hanging Command strips.

Here is a collage of some of the other paintings I've attempted so far:

This is a small selection of the painting projects I've completed. You can see more of them in my Paint Google photo album.

PAPER CRAFTS:

The Backstory: I bought a Fiskars Fuse cutting machine at a Black Friday sale at JoAnn Fabrics in November 2012. I chose this brand because it came with an adapter kit for using various other brands of dies, including AccuQuilt Go. I used it sporadically for cutting out tags and cards, but I never was very successful with any other dies. I ended up using it mostly for embossing cardstock that I used for packaging some of my SewAmazin products.

A few years later, I was considering getting an electronic cutting machine to help with my SewAmazin packaging. I researched the Silhouette, Cricut and Brother ScanNCut and for various reasons chose the Brother machine. In January 2017, I happened to turn on HSN on a Brother craft day and after watching the demos, ordered the machine and some accessories. Keli and Penny helped me open the package when it arrived.

I opened the box right away to make sure everything was there, then repacked it until I had time to read the manual and instructions on how to set it up with wifi, etc. I watched lots of videos before actually attempting my first cutting project in December, a full 11 months later.

Material Girl Kris held one final destash before moving in 2019, and I claimed her blue Sizzix BIGKick machine plus some dies and embossing folders and other stamps and supplies. I had to buy new cutting pads, a multipurpose platform and other accessories to use the Sizzix, but I have found it easier to use than the Fiskars machine.

2019

Westie Cut-outs

July: For my birthday I took some time to play with stamping, shading and cutting. MG Kris gave me this Westie stamp a couple years ago and I had used it to make thank you tags for my SewAmazin customers.

For this exercise, I stamped the image multiple times on white cardstock, then used watercolor pencils to color and shade the ears, face, body, collar and tag of the Westie in various colors. I experimented with blending colors a little bit, too.

When I was done coloring, I decided to experiment with my ScanNCut. I scanned each image and used the machine's features to vary the border size around the image to be cut. I have saved these for future reference.

Terrier Birthday Card

September 2019: I found a line drawing of a terrier die that was discontinued and was able to use the image to create a cutting file for my ScanNCut. On this card, I cut the terrier out of the front, embossed it with dots, then put a fun paper behind the cutout. The balloons were cut from cardstock with a Sizzix die and attached with foam adhesive squares for dimension.

For the inside of the card I used a free template PDF from Crafts Beautiful, scanned and cut with the ScanNCut machine, layered over the same fun printed paper.

Thanksgiving Cards

November 2019: Made for Material Girls Denise, Kris and Judy, I cut the leaves with the ScanNCut, then shaded with distress inks and used a pen to draw the veins. The banner for the sentiment was also cut using the ScanNCut. Maple leaves on the last card were made with a leaf punch and cardstock scraps.

Keli & Wyndi Wreath Decorations

December 2019: Keli and Wyndi are buried at a pet memorial park called Abbey Glen. For Christmas, I had purchased 2 small wreaths at our local nursery and decorated them with berry and pine cone sprays from my craft stash. After adding a ribbon to each, I decided they needed something extra.

I found an image of this Westie shape online and used it to create a cutting file for the ScanNCut. I cut 6 pieces of regular white card stock, then glued them all together for an embellishment for each wreath. The ribbon around each neck was made using my other newish machine, the Brother P-Touch Label Maker, using red satin ribbon with gold print cartridge.

Christmas Cards

December 2019: I only managed to make a few cards this year. I wasn't feeling well and Penny's care, especially making her special low copper diet food was taking a lot of my time and energy.

These Christmas card designs were all purchased as SVG cutting files from Craft Genesis. I used Brother's CanvasWorkspace software to convert them to FCM format for my ScanNCut, and to re-size them as needed.

Holy Family Papercut Ornament: I cut the main design in white cardstock, layered on a dark red backing and then attached that to the front of a card cut of medium red cardstock. The inside was stamped with a Christmas sentiment (sorry, I neglected to take any photos of the insides).

Reindeer Silhouette Christmas Card: This design was irresistible and I couldn't wait to try it. It proved to be a challenge to get the blade depth and pressure to the correct settings, as some of the smaller shapes didn't cut cleanly. Eventually I decided I needed a new blade and had to order one before finishing several versions of this card. The inside of each card was stamped with Christmas sentiment stamps I picked up at Michaels.

Nativity Scene Card: This was another card design that I could not resist! It also proved to be a challenge to get all the small shapes to cut cleanly until I replaced my cutting blade. This one also used the drawing feature of the ScanNCut, a gold ink pen was used to add the sentiment on the right, "For Unto Us a Child is Born". I felt it needed something extra on the front, so stamped "Oh Come Let Us Adore Him" in gold ink.

I still consider myself a beginner with the cutting machine and card making. You can see some of my other paper projects in my Cards & Paper Crafts Google photo album.

Please Note: I have shared links to some of the resources for the projects included in this post for information purposes only. I have no affiliation with any of them, I'm just a satisfied customer/user.

Mini Quilt Finishes 2017-2018

2020-07-26T13:55:00.002-04:00

This is the fourth in a series of "catching up" posts to bring my blog up to date with projects from the past several years. (See my recent Blogoversary 2020 post for an explanation) I have one more catch-up post planned after this one.

Included in this post are photos of half a dozen mini wall hanging quilts. Most of the patterns were graciously given to me by Material Girl Kris when she was downsizing her collection of quilting fabrics and supplies in 2016.

I've always said I'm not really a quilter, I'm a sewing enthusiast that likes to try a little bit of everything. Most of these projects were quick and easy to do, since they are all made using raw edge applique. The applique pieces are attached to their background with fusible web, then the raw edges are stitched down with a buttonhole or zig zag stitch. In some cases this stitching is done through all the layers (quilt top, batting and backing) and serves as the "quilting". Bindings are sewn by machine, I do very little hand stitching other than attaching buttons.

2017
Little Blessings - Shamrock Celebrations by Shabby Fabrics

March: I was so impressed by the model of this little quilt when I attended the Quiltfest of New Jersey in 2015 that I couldn't wait to buy the pattern and fabric pack. I started piecing the background a few days later, but I was interrupted by something or other and this project was put away as a UFO for almost 2 years. Most of the pieces were cut out and ready to go, except for the shamrock leaves, because I didn't care for the fabrics in the finishing pack for those pieces. I picked it up again in 2017, got over my indecision on the shamrocks and managed to finish in time for St. Patrick's day. Finished size is about 12 x 18 inches.

I didn't do much quilting on this piece, just stitched around the edge of the hat, added some decorative quilting stitches in the background that look like rows of clover-like flowers, and stitched heart shapes in the bottom pinwheel section that are supposed to resemble shamrocks in each square.

Patch Abilities Monthly Mini MM403 - March - Daffodils

March 2017: This design was a kit from Kris's collection. I used some of the fabrics from the kit, but replaced others with fabric from Kris's fabric destash. This one was also finished before St. Patrick's Day and as March's flower of the month. Finished size is about 12 x 14 inches.

Patch Abilities Monthly Mini MM407 - July - At the Beach

July 2017: Another design and fabric pack from Kris's collection. This one didn't have any special buttons or embellishment, but it looks like it needs something, doesn't it? Finished size is about 12 x 14 inches.

Patch Abilities Monthly Mini MM412 - December - Tinsel Tree

December 2017/January 2018: Another design from Kris's collection, I changed most of the fabrics to use choices from my own stash. A finishing kit included the ornament shaped buttons. Finished size is about 12 x 14 inches.

The project included instructions for making a colorful garland using sequins tied onto a length of metallic embroidery floss. Here is a closeup of garland, before I tacked it in place.

I used my Brother ScanNCut to scan the shapes and then cut out the applique pieces. Each piece of fabric had Pellon Easy Steam fusible applied before cutting.

2018
Patch Abilities Monthly Mini MM402 - February - Snow Couple

January: Another kit from Kris's stash, the fabric/finishing pack included the carrot noses, eye and chest buttons, and the snow girl's hat bow.

I cut the applique pieces using my Brother ScanNCut machine and fused them to the background with Pellon Easy Steam fusible. For better coverage, I cut extra white cotton fabric and fused it to the back of each snowman body to prevent the background from showing through them.

The snowflake buttons were from my stash and were attached to the heart with glue. The mouths are hand stitched french knots, and the arms are cut twigs from our dogwood tree that were attached with glue. Finished size is about 12 x 14 inches.

Patch Abilities Monthly Mini MM303 - March - Chocolate Bunny

March/April 2018: Who doesn't like a chocolate bunny? This is one more from Kris's stash, the kit included the hanger and a fabric and button pack.

I changed out most of the fabrics to pieces from my own collection and some I received from Kris. The eye and chest buttons were part of the finishing pack. This is a fun and colorful Spring decoration! Finished size is about 6 x 20 inches.

There is at least one more pattern from Kris's collection that I'd like to make this year, Simply Spring by Cottage Creek Quilts. I claimed it from her collection because it's part of the "Backdoor Quilt Series" and I have several finished pieces from that series: Sweet Liberty, Trick or Treat, Be Thankful and Winter Blessings.

I have all the fabrics ready to go for Simply Spring, I bought them on a shopping trip in 2018 to Sew Jersey in East Hanover. I just need to block out some time, after I finish my other UFOs.

See more of my finished wall hangings in my Quilted Banners & Mini's Google Photo Album

On a personal note: Although I say I'm not really a quilter, I did start one queen size quilt quite a while ago (see my previous posts on Bahama Breeze). I bought the supplies in 2009 at the Quiltfest of New Jersey, but was intimidated by the paper piecing technique, so I took a class and finally started sewing in 2012. I finished half of the blocks in 2012, then worked on them sporadically for the next several years. In 2017 I sewed all the blocks together and in early October 2018 I finally added the border.

I was in the process of looking for a backing and making plans for quilting the project myself when we lost Keli and I lost all interest in sewing. Last summer I found a suitable backing fabric and thought I might make some progress, but then Penny was diagnosed with her liver disease. Dealing with her special food needs and medications left me too mentally and physically tired to think about quilting such a large piece. Now that I have my own health issues, I'm going to be looking into having a professional quilter finish this project for me.

You can see photos of this project at various stages of progress in my Bahama Breeze Quilt Google photo album

Machine Embroidery and In-the-Hoop finishes 2014-2018

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This is the third in a series of "catching up" posts to bring my blog up to date with projects from the past several years. (See my recent Blogoversary 2020 post for an explanation)

Included in this post are projects made using in-the-hoop and machine embroidery designs from various designers. I'm including both personal projects and selected SewAmazin shop items (most are sold out or have been donated to Westie rescue fundraisers). They're organized chronologically beginning with 2014.

2014

Coffee Cup Cozies: In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery designs by Embroidery Garden

February-May 2014: These cup cozies were so quick and fun to make. The first sample was made for me with my initial and coffee theme fabric.

The next two samples were made to give away as gifts. I changed the monogram to a daisy embroidery design to match the fabric and used a daisy button for the closure.

I omitted the monogram on this beach themed cup cozy and used a sun shaped button for the closure.

Here are a few of the other designs I made over the years:

You can see many more coffee cup cozies in my Cup Cozies & Mug Rugs Google Photo Album

Mug Rugs: In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery design by Five Star Fonts

May 2014: The Flower Mug Rug design was a freebie design and I made the first one for myself in scraps of my favorite fabrics at the time. The other two mug rugs were gifts, and I edited the design in my embroidery software to add text instead of the flower.

Cell Phone Wallets: In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery design by Embroidery Garden

August 2014: I could not wait to stitch this design when it was first introduced! It's a true wallet that holds a cell phone and other necessities. It has slip pockets to hold cards and ID securely under the flap and there is room in the zippered area for cash and other items. I still use mine today to carry my Galaxy S10e phone. In 2014 I made a bunch of these in various fabrics to sell in my SewAmazin shop and at holiday craft fairs (and they sold out).

Jack's Sweatshirt

October 2014: My memory of this project is a little fuzzy. One of my nephews started high school in 2014 and had joined a disc golf club. His mom asked if I could embroider a disc on a purchased sweatshirt for him.

I remember searching for a suitable embroidery design with a disc that didn't reference ultimate frisbee, which wasn't quite as simple as you might think at the time. Eventually we chose this disc embroidery design by Grand Slam Designs. Jack wanted the design stitched on the back of the sweatshirt in his school's colors, and we changed the angle of the design so that it looks like the disc if flying towards the viewer.

I tested the design on a scrap of sweatshirt fabric to determine the thread color choices and eventual placement on the sweatshirt. When everything looked good, I hooped the sweatshirt with a heat away topper and cutaway stabilizer. My photos below show stitching in progress and finished, before removing it from the hoop. It took a really long time to stitch out and I slowed the machine down because of the bulk of the shirt. I didn't dare walk away and risk that a sleeve might slip free and get caught underneath the stitching!

I finished this project in time for his October birthday and I hope he liked it. Unfortunately, I don't remember ever seeing him wearing it.

You can see more photos in my Garments Google photo album

Garden Westie Mug Cozy and Coaster: In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery designs Embroidery Garden

November 2014: This set was donated to WestieMed's fundraising auction on Facebook. I've used the Garden Westies fabric designed by Kim Niles, purchased from Spoonflower.com on many items for my SewAmazin shop. I used some scrap pieces to make this matching mug cozy and coaster.

2015

Tri-fold Wallets, Hand Sanitizer Holders, Travel Tissue Cases, Key Fobs - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery Designs by Embroidery Garden

May: I made multiple versions of all these accessories as inventory for my SewAmazin shop and to sell at a rescue event I attended as a vendor in June 2015. Some of them are still in my inventory.

More wallet photos are in my Bags, Purses, Wristlets, Wallets Google photo album, photos of the other accessories are in the Accessories: Tissue Cases, Hand Sani Holders or Key Chains & Fobs photo albums.

Merry Christmas Felt Gift Card Holders - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery design by Embroidery Garden

December 2015: I had started chemo in September and by Christmas time I was losing my fingernails and had a really hard time making these felt gift card holders. I did manage to finish them in time to hold cash for family Christmas gifts.

2016
Dog Breed Key Fobs / Purse Charms - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery Designs by Newfound Applique: Scottie/Westie, Labradoodle, Chihuahua, Jack Russell Terrier, Boston Terrier, Pug

October: I spent most of 2016 recovering from chemo, surgery and radiation through September. I wasn't able to do much of anything around the house, so I started to work on some new ideas for my SewAmazin shop. These key fobs were adorable and weren't too taxing for my hands. They are made of marine vinyl in various colors and are attached to the key ring hardware with a snap.

2017
West Highland Terrier Dog Breed Key Fob - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery Designs by Buggalena

February 2017: I don't remember how I found this particular design but as soon as saw it, I knew I had to add it to the key fobs in my shop. To make them gift ready, I started making hand stamped backing cards for each key fob. I also made them in brown and "blonde" colors as Cairn terriers.

Paw Print Key Fobs - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery Designs by Buggalena

March 2017: Another must-have design added to my shop, paw prints in a variety of colors of vinyl.

Schnauzer/Wauzer Dog Breed Key Fobs - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery adapted from a design by MommaMC on Etsy

June 2017: The Westie key fobs were fairly popular and I knew I had to add a schnauzer to the mix. I found a feltie design that looked just like Penny, then edited it in my embroidery software to add the tab for the snap.

In-the-hoop Westie Puppy, Carrier & Accessories - Planet Applique

August 2017: I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the email introducing this stuffed puppy with a moving head and legs! The design from Planet Applique was actually a freebie for spending a certain amount in her shop. I just had to have it, so I ended up buying a few other stuffed animal designs for my embroidery collection just to get the puppy!

I made this little pup for myself, using white and pink minkee fabric from my stash. Isn't she adorable? The head is attached to the body using a doll joint, so she can turn her head from side to side. The legs could also be attached with smaller doll joints, but I chose to use buttons instead because I liked the way it looked.

The design pack includes files to make the puppy in various sizes, for hoops starting at 4x4 inches for the smallest, up to 8x12 inches for the largest. I made the size that fit my 5x7 inch hoop. It's amazing that the puppy can be made entirely in-the-hoop, with no additional sewing needed, except to close the openings in the legs after they are stuffed and to attach them to the body.

The puppy comes with it's very own carrier bag, also made in-the-hoop. It has a heart shaped window on the side, and I chose this pretty blue Valentine fabric and white rick rack trim as an accent.

My puppy has a grosgrain ribbon collar with a Best Friend charm attached.

One of the accessories included in the design pack is a felt bone toy; the project instructions show how to include magnets in both the puppy's face and the bone, so she can carry her bone around wherever she goes.

Here is a side view of the puppy carrier. The heart shaped "window" is clear vinyl. The carrier is stitched as several flat pieces, stitched together at the edges, folded and secured with snaps to form the boxy bag shape.

The last accessory is a bag of bone shaped treats, made of felt.

You can see more photos of my puppy in my In-the-hoop Westie Puppy Google Photo album

Hanging Kitchen Towels - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery design for Towel Toppers by Embroidery Garden

September 2017: I couldn't resist these tea towels with dogs in Halloween costumes and thought they'd be a fun addition to my shop. I made the towel toppers in-the-hoop using bits and pieces of Halloween fabric left over from dog bandanas and ruffles. The towels are attached to the toppers using conventional machine sewing.

Halloween Bunny - Embroidery Design by Urban Threads

October 2017: This hanging kitchen towel was made as a gift for Material Girl Kris for her new kitchen. She's been owned by many bunnies over the years and I thought this Halloween bunny would fit her style perfectly. The towel topper is the same one by Embroidery Garden above.

Westie Coaster, Mug Rug - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery Design by Newfound Applique

September 2017: A Westie Facebook friend brought this embroidery design to my attention. Isn't it adorable? The head is stuffed and is attached to the body with a snap, so you can position it any way you like. The decorative coaster is made of white marine vinyl, the bottom of the body is white premium craft felt. (Sold out July 2020)

2018
Westie Text-filled Key Fob - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery Design by MadeByYoli on Etsy

January/March 2018: Another group of Westie themed key fobs for my shop, made of marine vinyl. (Sold out July 2020)

Cute Kitty Cat Snap Tab Key Fob - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery Design by Designs by Little Bee

March 2018: Kitty Cat key fobs for my shop, made of marine vinyl.

Bichon Frise Snap Tab Key Fob - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery Design by Newfound Applique

August 2018: This key fob was made as a request from a customer.

See more photos of key chains and key fobs in my Google album Key Chains & Fobs

Hanging Kitchen Towels - In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery design for Towel Toppers by Embroidery Garden

August 2018: I was trying to get ahead for the holiday season with these hanging kitchen towels. The Christmas Dogs and Dogs in Scarves tea towels were matched with coordinating towel toppers. Shortly after these were listed, we lost Keli and I closed my shop so I still have some of these towel sets in my inventory.

Scottie Dog Tea Towel set

September 2018: This is the last set of hanging towels I was able to finish in 2018. (Sold July 2020)

See my Google photo album Towels: Kitchen, Bath for more photos

On a personal note: In 2019, I created a group on Facebook called Keli's Korner by SewAmazin, to try to sell some of my inventory items at clearance prices. There are quite a few dog bandanas, ruffles and other accessories still listed there. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to be very active with this group, first because of Penny's health issues and now because of mine. I also wasn't very motivated because our local post office was closed for over a year, so I had to mail out packages from a nearby town, which was very inconvenient.

I plan to keep our group open for a few more months and then will have to decide what to do with the remaining items. If you are not on Facebook, you can view the items that are still available in my Google photo album Keli's Korner by SewAmazin.

Sewing Finishes 2014-2018

2020-07-12T15:45:00.005-04:00

This is the second in a series of "catching up" posts to bring my blog up to date with projects from the past several years. (See my recent Blogoversary 2020 post for an explanation)

Included in this longish post are photos of sewing projects that I have worked on since 2014, both personal projects and selected SewAmazin custom orders (excluding dog bandanas and ruffles). They are organized chronologically, beginning with the earliest completed items. Some of the pieces have had machine embroidery added, but they were constructed using conventional sewing.

2014

Westie Embroidered Essential Wristlet - PDF Pattern by Dog Under My Desk

November: This was a SewAmazin custom order. My recollection of this purse is that my customer needed a way to carry two cell phones (one personal, one business) as well as keys, credit cards and a few other essentials. It needed to be padded to protect the tech and of course, it had to have a Westie on it.

The front zipper pocket is padded to hold one of the cell phones securely.

A slip pocket inside the purse is also padded and could hold the second cell phone secure.

The interior is roomy enough to hold keys and other items; slip pockets hold onto to credit cards and cash.

The embroidery design on the front was stitched prior to cutting out the fabric for the purse. The filled Scottie mini terrier design was purchased from Embroidery Boutique in 2012 (it appears to be retired and no longer available). I used this design previously instead of an initial on some coffee cup sleeves made with in-the-hoop embroidery designs from Embroidery Garden; I used my embroidery software to copy and stitch it on the cover fabric of the purse.

2015

Gadget Guard Tablet Case - PDF Pattern by Dog Under My Desk

January: This was a SewAmazin custom order for a Westie fan who got a new tablet for Christmas. I blogged previously about the Gadget Guard Padded Tablet Cases I made in 2014, and this one was constructed very much the same as the others.

Additional photos can be seen in my Google photo album Tech Cases & Notebook Covers.

Two Zip Hipster - PDF Pattern by Dog Under My Desk

February 2015: I made this bag for myself in blue medallion fabric, it was meant to be a sample. I originally thought I might make more of these bags for my SewAmazin shop, featuring Westie and doggie fabrics. But in 2015 I was diagnosed with breast cancer, so this is the only Two Zip Hipster I finished. It was a great cross body bag and I used it for several years before being able to make a new bag for myself.

Zebra Print Fabric Reusable Shopping Tote Bags: Brown and Black

August 2015 - I've made lots of these reusable shopping totes and blogged about them here over the years. My recollection on these zebra print bags is fuzzy because of the time frame, but I believe they were originally requested by a family member to give as a gift. At the time, I decided to use up all the fabric and made an extra set that later sold in my SewAmazin shop.

Additional photos can be seen in my Google photo album Tote Bags, Reusable Grocery Bags

2016

I was recovering from chemo, surgery and radiation for most of this year, so I did not accomplish much sewing. I had lost my fingernails as a side effect of chemo which made it very uncomfortable to pin fabric. I also developed neuropathy in my fingertips that still makes it difficult to grasp small items even today. I also have it in my toes, which affects my walking. I recall making some chemo caps for myself and pockets for holding my drains after surgery. By the end of the year, I was finally able to make some dog bandanas and ruffles for my SewAmazin shop and a couple of fall dog collars for Keli and Penny (sadly, I have no photos of them).

2017

Screen Pet Gate

May 2017: I spotted a fabric baby gate somewhere online and thought it would be a good substitute for a pet gate on our deck. For years we used a metal exercise pen and left it up year round to keep the dogs from running down the ramp ahead of us or so they could sit outside and sun themselves unsupervised for a few minutes. Eventually the metal pen rusted out and we disposed of it.

I had screening left over from making my DIY Screen Curtain in 2012, and decided to use it. Besides using up my stash, it's easy to see through, so the added benefit is that Keli and Penny could sit at the top of the ramp and still look out over the yard to watch the squirrels and bunnies. The edges are wrapped with marine vinyl and the attachments are made of Velcro strips. I took lots of photos in-process, and have posted a separate blog entry with detailed instructions. We used the gate through 2017 and part of 2018; we haven't really needed it for Penny since Keli's been gone.

Fabric Elizabethan Collar for Keli

June 2017: In 2016, Keli had a lump that started growing on her nose, between her eyes, and it became quite large and would bleed frequently. It required constant cleaning and became even larger through 2017. I finally convinced my vet to remove it despite her age (15 at the time) because she was in relatively good health and the lump was becoming a quality of life issue for both of us. The lump turned out to be malignant, so I have no regrets for putting her through the surgery.

To keep her comfortable post surgery, I made her a fabric e-collar to replace the plastic one. I used the plastic collar from the vet to make a template and constructed the collar with batik fabric and Peltex firm interfacing, with Velcro closures. I wrote a separate blog post with more photos and detailed instructions.

The fabric e-collar was a hit with my vet and we used it frequently for the rest of her life. We've since used it for Penny, although it's a bit loose on her.

Take Off Totes - PDF Pattern by Dog Under My Desk

August 2017: I was contacted through my SewAmazin Etsy shop to make a tote bag using the Pink Scotties fabric as a custom order. After going back and forth on the customer's needs, we agreed on this bag design. Since it was rather large and used foam batting, I decided to work up a sample first, to get a good understanding of the pattern directions. So I made it using this brown paw print batik from JoAnn Fabrics. I liked the way it turned out, so continued on to the custom order.

This Pink Scottie fabric is discontinued and I have very little of it remaining, so I had to be very careful cutting out the pattern pieces. The inside lining and straps were made in coordinating fabrics. I think the finished bag is adorable, if I do say so myself!

More photos of this bag can be seen my Bags, Purses, Wristlets, Wallets Google Photo Album

Encore Clutch - PDF Pattern Dog Under My Desk: Watermelon Westie

September 2017: This clutch was donated to WestieMed's Facebook Fundraising Auction.

The feature fabric is a scrap of Watermelon Westie fabric, designed by Kim Niles, purchased from Spoonflower.com. I've used this fabric on numerous projects for my SewAmazin shop. The rest of the little bag was made in black herringbone print cotton fabric and was embellished with a terrier charm on the zipper pull.

Halloween Chef's Hats & Dog Bandanas

October 2017: Custom Order SewAmazin

Bailey and Charlie have been frequent customers for custom bandanas and are therapy dogs, so when their mom contacted me to make them chef's outfits for Halloween, I accepted the challenge. I searched online for instructions to make the chef's hats. Essentially they are a big circle sewn to a band; the poof and ruffles are formed by easing in the edges of the circle. The hardest part is to determine the headband and circle size.

I made the bone appliques using red fabric and a machine embroidery design from Planet Applique (I think it was a freebie design that has since been retired) and fused them onto the headbands after the hats were completed.

The chef's jacket bandanas were a little more challenging. I used my basic scrunchie bandana pattern and adapted it to look like a jacket front. The names were embroidered prior to constructing the bandana and I added extra interfacing to stiffen them a bit to hold their shape. The neckbands were made separately out of red and white check fabric and the ties were added on later; I had to figure out how to attach them so the elastic neck of the bandana could still stretch.

Customized Fleece Pet Blankets

November/December 2017: SewAmazin Custom Orders

Another customer contacted me to ask for a custom blanket for Lucy, also a therapy dog. I hadn't really worked with fleece in a while, but it seemed like an interesting project.

I made a small sample blanket for Keli first, to test the embroidery font, determine the appropriate topper and stabilizer to use and to test the trimming needed for the fleece bone appliques. The bone is the same one used on the chef's hats above.

Lucy's blanket was made to her custom size, one side is a doggie print no-pill fleece and the other side is a solid red. I embroidered the name and appliques first, then constructed the blanket on my sewing machine. The two right sides were pinned together, I sewed all the way around, leaving an opening for turning right side out. Once it was turned right side out and flat, I top stitched around the edge to finish it. I think I hand-sewed the opening closed so it would be invisible.

After Lucy's blanket, I received a few other requests for similar blankets. You can see them in my Google photo album Fleece Dog Blankets

2018

Daytripper Purse and Get Carded Wallet - PDF Pattern by Dog Under My Desk

February 2018: This is the bag I made for myself to replace the worn out Two Zip Hipster from 2015. I had already cut out this blue medallion fabric shortly after the first bag, but wasn't able to make it until I really needed a new bag. As the name indicates, the Daytripper is a large size bag, designed to hold everything needed for a day out exploring. I resized mine down to 88% to make it similar in size to the bags I usually carry, and it is still big enough to carry everything I need and more.

This has been a great cross body bag for the past few years and I'm still using it as well as the matching Get Carded Wallet.

Quick Zip Lunch Bag - PDF Pattern by Dog Under My Desk

March 2018: This is a sample insulated lunch bag I made, intending to make more for my SewAmazin shop in various doggie themed fabrics. I bought a small bit of this fabric at some quilt show and was holding it for just the right project. When it was finished, I thought the paw print snap tab was the perfect accessory! I was pleased with the size of this bag and was getting ready to make more and then I got busy with other things. And Keli started declining around mid-2018, her care was a higher priority, so I had to cut back on new shop listings.

Zip Around Town Wallet - PDF Pattern Dog Under My Desk

September 2018: I made this wallet for myself using fabric from Spoonflower in this Westie floral fabric by petfriendly. The wallet appealed to me because it has a zipper pocket inside for coins, holds cards and cash and I could carry my cell phone inside in a slip pocket. However, the first few times I went out shopping, it turned out to be too difficult to unzip quickly while checking out groceries and I kept dropping things. So this is another lovely wallet in my collection. It's perfectly usable and I will probably get some use of it eventually.

I have most of the yardage of this print still in my stash, so hopefully I will get to use on another bag soon.

Garden Westies Essential Wristlet - PDF Pattern by Dog Under My Desk

September 2018: This is another wristlet I made to be sold in my SewAmazin shop. I've used the Garden Westies fabric designed by Kim Niles, purchased from Spoonflower.com on many items for my SewAmazin shop and made this wristlet to use up some of the remaining yardage, using coordinating fabrics for the lining and adding a paw print charm to the front zipper pocket. I didn't have time to make any other wristlets for my shop because of Keli's declining health in September and October. This bag has been sold.

You can see more of my Westie creations in my Westie Sewing & More google photo album

More photos of the bags and wristlets in this post are in my Bags, Purses, Wristlets, Wallets google photo album

On a personal note: Losing Keli was devastating for me and I closed my SewAmazin shop immediately. It was just too hard to think about sewing bandanas or ruffles anymore, she was my muse and inspiration, my best friend and furry soul sister. I'm finally starting to feel okay about sewing again, but given my current health status, I don't know if or when I will be able to do this type of sewing ever again.

Needlework Finishes and In-Progress 2016-2019

2020-07-05T15:54:00.012-04:00

This is the first in a series of "catching up" posts to bring my blog up to date with projects from the past several years. (See my recent Blogoversary 2020 post for an explanation).

Included in this rather long and photo filled post are counted cross stitch and needlework pieces that I've worked on since 2016. They are organized chronologically, beginning with the earliest completely finished pieces. I've also included some in progress and partially finished pieces that I still hope to finish.

STITCHED & FINISHED:

2017:
Mill Hill Evergreen Sleigh Ornament Kit on perforated paper

A Westie friend on Facebook posted a link to this kit sold by 123Stitch.com in 2017 and of course I just had to order it! It took a while to find time to stitch and bead it, but I managed to complete it in December just in time to place it on our Westie Christmas tree.

The design features counted cross stitch with cotton floss as well as 2 sizes of Mill Hill beads, embellished with a brass Christmas tree charm. I added a hanger using gold metallic DMC perle cotton from my stash.

I used my Brother ScanNCut (purchased in January 2017) to make a backing for the ornament. After trimming the perforated paper from the edges of the ornament, I made a color copy that could be scanned by the ScanNCut, then cut the shape from red card stock. I had to reduce the size slightly so it wouldn't show through on the front (I have since learned a better way to cut slightly smaller). I also cut the date from green card stock. I assembled the pieces after running the card stock through my Xyron machine to apply adhesive. This was one of my first attempts to use the ScanNCut and although there was a bit of a learning curve, I'm pleased with the result.

2018:
Home Chilly Home - The Silver Needle, December 2008 Kit - Flatfold Easel finish

Material Girl Kris was clearing out her stash of needlework and quilting kits and generously allowed me to claim this retired Secret Needle Night kit from The Silver Needle. The design features a variety of fibers stitched on an evenweave fabric. The cross stitching was finished in July 2017; easel finish done in Dec 2017/January 2018.

The flatfold easel finishing instructions were no longer available on the Silver Needle website, but I found an alternative technique through Pinterest. Because I intend to use this technique again, I took lots of photos along the way and will post a separate blog entry with details on the construction and assembly.

2019:

In January, Material Girl Denise and I traveled to Where Victoria's Angels Stitch in Clifton to retrieve her samplers that had been displayed in the shop. It was my first visit since Keli was a puppy and we enjoyed catching up with the shop owner, Tawny, after so many years. We spent an hour or so browsing through the shop and I found two dog themed kits from Mill Hill. I also purchased extra Westie buttons and charms.

Window Friends - Mill Hill Buttons & Beads Kit, Spring Series 2006 MH14-6106

Completed in March: Since Keli's passing in October 2018, I've felt compelled to work on the Westie projects that have been in my stash for years, but adding these two new kits to the mix felt appropriate. I stitched this first design in memory of both Keli and Wyndi, my first Westie girl. The design features counted cross stitch in cotton floss on perforated paper, embellished with Mill Hill beads and a Westie button. I added a second Westie button to the frame so both my girls would be represented.

Puppy Paws - Mill Hill Buttons & Beads Kit, Spring Series 2013 MH14-3101

Completed in April/May: Although the dog in this project is a tan color, the expression reminded me of Penny. I originally thought I might try to change the color to a lighter ecru, but decided to leave it as designed to preserve the subtle shading. This design also features counted cross stitch in cotton floss on perforated paper embellished with Mill Hill beads and a bone shaped button.

The two frames are from Mill Hill, size 6x6 inches square in matte blue and were ordered online in April. I used scrap pieces of mat board behind each piece inside the frame, with the mat color matched to coordinate with and highlight the finished stitching.

Terriers & Roses - Crewel embroidery kit

Stitching completed July: This was a kit that has been in my to do box for a very long time. I purchased it in 2002 after Wyndi passed and while Keli was still a young puppy. At the time it appealed to me simply because of the Westies.

Although I thought about starting this kit often over the years, it never seemed to be the right time for it, maybe because there are two Westies in the design. But now that both my girls are gone, it helps to think of them together like this at rainbow bridge. In this image, Keli would be on the left, Wyndi on the right.

The crewel embroidery was a little bit of a challenge since I hadn't done satin stitches in quite a few years. The design features a printed image on evenweave fabric, with decorative embroidery (stem stitch, satin stitch and french knot) to enhance the faces and fur and to fill in the roses.

When the stitching was complete, I mounted the piece on foam core and framed it using a purchased 8x10 frame from Hobby Lobby. I cut the mat myself from mat boards in my stash with a 5x7 opening. Photographed without glass to avoid reflection. Framed October

Christmas Puppy Latch Hook Rug from J.P. Coats

Latch hooking complete, February 2019: This is another kit that has been in my to do box for a very, very long time. Purchased online from JoAnn.com in November 2002, I must have started a few rows sometime before 2015 because when I picked it up in November 2015, there were a dozen or so rows completed. I tried to work on it for a few nights, but at that time, my fingernails were already affected by chemo, so had to put it away again. Beginning in late December 2018, I worked on it steadily and managed to finished about 3-5 rows per day until the last stitch in February 2019.

This is still in progress until I finish the raw edges of the rug. I found some simple finishing instructions on Pinterest and now it's a matter of time and energy. I took a lot of in-process photos along the way and plan to draft a separate blog post when it is completely finished. Update: finished and blogged: Christmas Puppy Latch Hook Rug Finished

Winston the Westie Felt Plush Dog by Squishy-Cute Designs

Another unfinished Westie project worth mentioning, I purchased this PDF pattern of Winston the Westie through Squishy-Cute Designs on Etsy in September 2017 and started it in December.

The wool felt pieces were cut using my ScanNCut machine. This design features surface embroidery (backstitch, lazy daisies, french knots and double running stitches) in cotton embroidery floss on the felt head and body of the dog. Instructions also include a bandana made in cotton fabric.

I don't remember how I originally found this pattern - it was either through a search on Etsy or someone posted a picture in one of the sewing or Westie groups I follow on Facebook. It's adorable and I'd really like to finish it soon. I will try to take additional photos so this will be part of a separate blog post when finished. Update: Finished and blogged: Finished: Winston the Westie Felt Plushie

MORE IN PROGRESS/PARTIALLY FINISHED:

Some of these kits were in my needlework stash for years; several of them were graciously given to me by Material Girl Kris as part of her destashing spree.

These are all "finished" in the sense that the cross stitching is complete, some buttons and embellishments have been attached and they've been pressed flat. I plan to finish all 6 of the Lizzie Kate kits as standing figures, just like Paddy O'Hare and Betty Broomstick. I hope to finish the others as flat-fold easels, similar to Home Chilly Home above. If and when these are completely finished, I will post new photos.

2016

Pansy O'Hare - Lizzie Kate Special Edition Kit (retired) - counted cross stitch

Pansy is Clara and Henry's daughter and is stitched with hand dyed cotton floss on hand dyed linen. I don't recall exactly when I started stitching this piece, but I think it was around 2014 or earlier. I picked it up again around Fall 2016 while I was recovering from my original cancer treatments. I had lost my fingernails due to chemo and couldn't do any machine sewing because I couldn't grasp pins and other tools. But I could hold on to an embroidery needle so I stitched a little at a time until it was complete.

Finished and blogged: Pansy, Clara, Henry O'Hare Stand Up Figures

2017

Henry O'Hare - Lizzie Kate Special Edition Kit (retired) - counted cross stitch completed Mar/April

Stitched using hand dyed cotton floss on hand dyed linen. This is one of the kits I received from Kris, and since I'd already finished Pansy, I kept going on Henry.

Finished and blogged: Pansy, Clara, Henry O'Hare Stand Up Figures

Clara O'Hare - Lizzie Kate Special Edition Kit (retired) - counted cross stitch completed July

Stitched using hand dyed cotton floss on hand dyed linen. This is another one of the kits I received from Kris. When Henry was finished, I was on a roll, so of course, Clara had to be next in line to complete the family.

Finished and blogged: Pansy, Clara, Henry O'Hare Stand Up Figures

Both Henry and Clara were retired designs until recently. According to the Lizzie*Kate Blog, The Bunnies are Back and have been updated with new fabrics and embellishments as of March 2020.

Needle Nick - Lizzie Kate Special Edition Kit (retired) - counted cross stitch completed Fall 2017

Stitched using DMC and hand dyed cotton floss on 14 ct Sand Lincoln cloth evenweave fabric, embellished with beads, buttons, jingle bells and brass charms. This kit was from my stash; since Christmas was coming, I decided to keep on stitching the stand up figures. Needle Nick's kit includes detailed instructions to construct the stand up figure so I'm still planning to start with him as practice, then continue with the rest of the bunnies and snowmen. (Finished and blogged: Needle Nick Stand up Figure)

Needle Nick was a retired design, but according to the Lizzie*Kate Blog, Needle Nick and Flossie Claus are Back and have been updated with new fabrics and embellishments as of November 2019.

2018

Joe Snow - Lizzie Kate Special Edition Kit (retired) - counted cross stitch completed January

Stitched using hand dyed cotton floss on hand dyed linen. This kit was from my stash. (Finished and blogged: Joe Snow and Sally Snow Stand up Figures)

Sally Snow - Lizzie Kate Special Edition Kit (retired) - counted cross stitch completed December

Stitched using hand dyed cotton floss on hand dyed linen. This kit was in my stash, and is the last in the series of stand up figures to be finished. (Finished and blogged: Joe Snow and Sally Snow Stand up Figures)

2019

Rabbit Roundabout Kit by Heart in Hand Needleart (retired) - Counted Cross Stitch completed Feb/Mar

Stitched using hand dyed cotton floss on linen, embellished with buttons. Another little kit from my stash. I'd like to finish this with the flatfold easel technique. (Finished and blogged: Flatfold Easel Finish: Rabbit Roundabout)

Patriotic Cracker kit by Bent Creek (retired) - Counted Cross Stitch completed in May/June

Stitched using hand dyed cotton floss on linen, embellished with buttons. A mini kit from stash, would like to finish it with the flat fold easel technique. (Finished and blogged: Flatfold Easel Finish: Patriotic Cracker Kit)

More photos of these needlework projects can be viewed in my Google photo album: Cross Stitch, Counted Thread, Needlework

On a personal note: I mentioned in my Blogoversary post that I may experience interruptions in finishing these "catching up" posts. Well, the past few weeks have been a challenge. I've been dealing with intermittent pain in my leg and fatigue from the radiation, then a bout of nausea and vomiting that required treatment and further tests to determine the cause. When I do feel okay, I've been popping in to Blogger and getting these posts populated with photos and going through my notes to jog my memory of each project. Even though I'm not able to do much else, it's been nice to go back and remember each one and I feel motivated to try to finish some of the in-progress pieces soon.

Blogoversary 2020 - 13 Years

2020-06-18T01:00:00.021-04:00

It's been 3 years since I posted my last update on my 10th Blogoversary in 2017. Once again, life got in the way of my personal sewing and blogging. At the time I wrote that post, I had every intention of resuming my blog.

What happened this time? Well, I ended up spending a lot of time trying to re-start my SewAmazin business, updating websites, making inventory and working on custom orders. At the same time, I was still trying to recover from my surgery and treatments related to my breast cancer *and* attempting to get my house and garden back in order (both had been neglected for several years while I was unable to take care of them). Add in two senior dogs requiring my attention and my poor little blog had to fall to the bottom of my priority list once again.

In 2018, Keli turned 16 and started to have more health problems. She was doing fairly well through the summer, then her health began to decline until she eventually left us for the Rainbow Bridge in late October. Losing her was devastating and I lost all interest in sewing or making anything - I couldn't even walk into my sewing room without crying. I decided to wind down my SewAmazin business and close my shops indefinitely, now permanently. Eventually, I worked on a handful needlework projects that have been in my stash for years, including several Westie pieces.

Beginning in December 2018, I did a lot of editing to this blog's photos. Most of my early blog posts contained photos I had uploaded to Flickr. In 2018, Flickr was acquired by another company and later changed it's policy on free accounts. I had to drastically reduce the number of photos I stored there while uploading them to my Google photos account and adding them back to the proper blog posts. I managed to finish that task before the March 2019 deadline.

In January 2019, Penny began having liver problems and eventually was diagnosed in June 2019 with copper storage disease. We treated her for that with medications and special a home cooked diet and we were fairly successful at getting her liver values close to normal again. Unfortunately, in late January 2020 she began having problems swallowing, choked on solid food and started losing weight and muscle mass. After x-rays and ultrasounds, we consulted an internal medicine specialist. Ultimately she was diagnosed with a probable lesion on her brain stem, affecting the nerves in her face. She is losing the ability to close her jaw and control her tongue. We opted to bring her home and keep her comfortable for as long as possible. She's still with us, taking a therapeutic dose of Prednisone, which seems to be slowing down the progression of her disease. It also stimulates her appetite so she has stabilized her weight at about 15 pounds (down from 20 a year ago). We don't know how much time she has left with us, but she's still eating (fed by hand), drinking, going out and barking at birds and squirrels and enjoying life.

I don't think I have to explain how life changed for everyone in 2020 due to the coronavirus shut down in March. We had just gotten the sad news about Penny's condition and were coming to terms with it's eventual resolution, when everything began to be shut down just a week later. Quarantine didn't bother me too much at first, since I'd rarely had a chance to go anywhere for months other than church, grocery shopping or doctor/vet appointments - I was just too exhausted to go anywhere else. To be honest, I never really felt like I recovered from my BC treatment and have been surviving one day/week at a time since 2016.

Around the first weekend in April I started having problems with my vision, but because of the shut down, I didn't follow up for a few days, until I started having symptoms that resembled a detached retina. An emergency visit to the ophthalmologist sent me to a retina specialist who, after several hours of tests, referred me back to my oncologist for a full metastatic workup.

Within a day I was scheduled for MRI's, CT scans and a multitude of other tests over the next 3+ weeks. I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, the same type as my previous diagnosis in 2015. I began radiation treatment to my brain immediately to address my vision. When that course was complete, I started drug therapy, which I will need for the rest of my life, however long that may be. I recently completed a round of radiation to my right leg, which has been very painful and has prevented me from walking normally for over a year. Both my vision and my leg are improving slowly, but I am still experiencing fatigue from my treatments.

Needless to say, I haven't been doing much sewing lately. Well, I did manage to sew face masks for myself and my husband before my vision got too bad. I have also been able to do some simple painting projects that are not too detailed.

I started painting last year for fun, as therapy after losing Keli, and as an escape from worrying about Penny's diagnosis and struggling with my own physical difficulties. I was inspired by Plaid's Flowers of the Month series featuring Donna Dewberry's One Stroke method. Ever since I went to the paint your pet party in 2013, I've wanted to try again because I didn't really have enough time to finish the original and was never happy with it. The flowers of the month seemed like a good opportunity to get some practice before diving in. Since then I've also purchased Plaid's Studio Lessons and followed their weekly Lunch 'n Learn lessons on Facebook.

So that's what happened to stop me from blogging since 2017. I've kept my list of finished projects updated each year, sometimes linked to photos. Around November of last year, I started drafting some catch-up blog posts covering the past 5+ years, consisting of mostly photos and a few notes that I remember about each project. I intended to add detailed posts about selected projects and I was making good progress on my drafts until Penny and I started having problems again...

Anyway - I was recently reminded of this Blogoversary by a calendar alert and thought this might be a good time to revisit those catch-up posts. My vision is improved enough that I can see to type (with frequent breaks) so I will make the attempt to finish and post them this summer. But don't be surprised if I get interrupted again.....

Blogoversary - 10 Years

2017-06-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hello again! Today is my 10th Blogoversary - it's been 10 years since I started posting about my sewing and crafting projects on Blogger!

This blog is where I keep track of and "show and tell" my sewing and needleart projects and experiences, kind of like my virtual scrapbook.

Over the years, I've taken some extended breaks for several months at a time. My latest break has spanned 2.5 years, from January 2015 to June 2017.

What happened? A few things contributed to the break. First, in late 2014 I launched a separate blog, SewAmazin's Studio, dedicated entirely to my shop news and promotions, so that this original blog could focus on sewing and creating, not selling. Most of my posts from 2014 through 2017 are over on my Studio blog.

Second, our Westie, Keli had a couple of surgeries, in November 2014 to remove a benign anal gland tumor and again in August 2015 to repair a torn ACL. They were a little risky for a senior dog, but she did great! In fact she just had another surgery this month to remove more growths, including a nasty one on her nose that turned out to be low grade malignant. The vet was reluctant to put her under anesthesia again at age 15+ but once again, she came through just fine and is expected to make a full recovery. We expect her to be with us for a few years longer.

2015 was not a great year for us. My father was diagnosed with lung cancer and lost his battle in August. In September 2015, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and while I was going through various treatments and surgery, I just didn't have the energy or inspiration to be very creative. I developed mild neuropathy in my fingers and toes and lost all of my nails as a side effect of chemotherapy, making it nearly impossible to sew for quite some time.

My last radiation treatment was in September 2016. My overall recovery has taken longer than I expected and I still have some challenges, but I'm finally getting back into my workroom to sew again!

During my hiatus, I popped in periodically to do some blog housekeeping - updated broken links, tried on a new theme, re-worked my finished project lists....

There are still lots of older projects that never made it to the blog and at this point, I'm not going back to add them unless they are relevant to something new. The photos are all uploaded to my Flickr account. There are a few draft blog posts from 2015 and earlier that I may or may not share in the future.

So here we are, wiping the slate clean and starting new on my 10th Blogoversary!

I already have a couple of new blog posts drafted in my mind! I have started working on some of my old unfinished projects, as well as started some that I had planned to do 'one of these days' - because enough time has passed already! I make no promises to blog on any kind of schedule. In fact, I can guarantee that my posts will be sporadic. But I will start posting again.

My SewAmazin shop and website are up and running and I've added new dog bandanas for summer, but I do hope to balance my 'work' sewing and my 'personal' sewing better this year. And I'll be spending more time with my "Pesties" - both Keli and Penny (who will be 10 in September!).

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If you subscribed to this blog by email but wanted shop news instead of sewing updates, you can ~~join my other mailing list at: Subscribe.SewAmazin.com~~ visit SewAmazin's Studio blog

edited:
Sep-2-2019

My Sewing Room Makeover, Part 4: Before and After

2017-06-17T16:25:00.000-04:00

This is the last in a series of posts about my sewing room makeover, completed in July/August of 2014.

Part 1 shares my re-upholstered swivel chair and new window valance
Part 2 shares my new ironing station and refreshed work table
Part 3, shares a few finishing details: a dust barrier for the end of my shelving unit, a fabric storage box and my re-purposed Sewing Ladies embroideries

This post shares some of my before and after photos. The photos go clockwise around the room; some were taken at different angles before and after, so aren't perfectly lined up for comparison.

1 Left Wall/Corner/Closet

Before: Pegboard organizer, ironing board

After: Closet reorganized, bookcase storage relocated

2 Side/Back Wall

Before: Fabric storage, bookcase, miscellaneous shelves

After: Relocated and expanded IVAR shelving units

3 Right Side Wall

Before: IVAR shelving unit

After: Pegboard organizer relocated, fabric, zipper storage

Since 2015, some small storage pieces have been moved around, but the main layout of the room has turned out to be much more efficient!

In addition to reorganizing this room, I sorted my entire fabric collection and needleart supplies and moved a significant amount of storage bins to another 'guest' bedroom. So you could also call this an 'expansion' as well as a reorganization!

My Sewing Room Makeover, Part 3: Dust Barrier, Fabric Box and Sewing Ladies

2015-01-27T12:46:00.001-05:00

This is the third in a series of posts about my sewing room makeover, completed in July/August of 2014.

Part 1 shares my re-upholstered swivel chair and new window valance

Part 2 shares my new ironing station and refreshed work table

In Part 3, I'm sharing a few finishing details: a dust barrier for the end of my shelving unit, a fabric storage box and my re-purposed Sewing Ladies embroideries..

One more post will share some of my before and after photos.

Dust Barrier

After the furniture was moved back into the room, I sorted fabric and refilled my shelves. Part of my fabric collection is organized in a row of six Antonius frames and wire basket storage units from IKEA. One end is located right next to the doorway and was unprotected from traffic in and out of the room. In the past, this side accumulated dust and thread on some of the fabric, so I decided to make a barrier to protect it.

The dust barrier is really just a big rectangle with hems. I measured the height and width of the Antonius frame and cut the fabric a few inches larger. The raw edges were finished with an overlock stitch on the serger, then the vertical side hems were folded, pressed and top stitched, so that the width just covers the frame.

To attach the dust barrier to the frame, I used a home decor velcro that combines tapes of sew-on loops with sticky back hooks. The sticky back hook tape was too wide, so before it was applied along the top and bottom of the Antonius frame, I trimmed it lengthwise about 1/4 inch with a rotary cutter. The sew-on loop tape was stitched to the top and bottom of the fabric near the folded edge of the horizontal hems, then top stitched.

The home dec fabric used for the dust barrier matches the window valance I made earlier in the year. It works great, is washable and adds a nice pop of color to the entrance of the my studio!

Fabric Storage Box

I have a half dozen Drona storage boxes in various colors from IKEA; they fit perfectly into the sections of my Expedit bookcase and hold a lot of fabric. After loading the top 3 rows of the Expedit with magazines and books and the bottom row with 4 Drona boxes, there was one section still open. I was short one box and decided to make one using coordinating home dec fabrics from my stash.

Over the past few years, I've collected a variety of tutorials for making fabric storage boxes on my Pinterest boards, Sewing Room Organization and Craft, Sewing, DIY Tutorials. The methods of constructing the boxes are all pretty similar, so I picked a few tips and techniques from each of them to make my box.

If you've made a simple bag with boxed corners on the bottom, the basic construction is pretty much the same idea. It has a cover and a lining, and at each corner of the box, vertical stitching through both layers create four 'pockets'. Pieces of stiff cardboard are inserted into these pockets to give the box it's structure.

In some of the tutorials, the last step has a double folded bias binding stitched along the top edge of the box, sewn right through the cardboard. I used acid free backing board - left over from the days when I framed my own cross stitch and needlework samplers - and sewing through that was completely out of the question! Instead, I folded the fabric to the inside and used fusible tape to secure it. The raw edges are hidden with more fusible and white twill tape. The bottom of the box is a 5th piece of backing board, covered with a fabric sleeve.

It fits perfectly on my bookcase! Four of the Drona boxes are in the bottom row of the Expedit, my new box is on the 3rd row and holds my collection of smaller home dec fabric remnants.

Sewing Ladies Re-purposed

Shortly after I acquired my first embroidery machine, I purchased these two design collections by Loralie Designs, the Fun Ladies and the Busy Ladies.

In 2006, I made a quilted cover for the embroidery arm case. Pockets on each side of the cover were made using stitchouts of four of the ladies. One side had Pin Cushion Lady and Pinhead from the Fun Ladies collection:

The pocket on the other side had Seams Blue, from the Fun Ladies and Fabric Hugger from the Busy Ladies:

The cover spent more time off of the embroidery arm case and stored in the closet, so I decided to take it apart and re-use the lades for something else. In 2009, I took the cover apart and salvaged batting, fabric and embroideries for an undetermined future project.

My Sewing Ladies were re-discovered when I emptied my sewing room for the makeover. Of course, they had to be part of my new and improved studio! Another visit to Pinterest gave me the idea to frame them for display.

To keep it simple, each lady's fabric and her salvaged batting were wrapped around and stapled to the wooden frame of an 8x10 art canvas.

After they were mounted, I decided to display them in a row on a shelf in my finished room:

The shelf sits on top of my pegboard organizer, so now I can see my Sewing Ladies every day!

Custom Cases in Black and White: Lips and Hips-ter Bags

2015-01-18T17:46:00.002-05:00

I'm still catching up on sharing projects from last year, 2013 and earlier. The items included in this post have a common color theme of black and white, plus using 'lips' and 'hips' in the title made me smile.

Black and White Lips Shaped Wristlets

In February 2012, I posted a blog entry about various Valentine's Day additions to my ArtFire shop, including some lips-shaped coin purses and wristlets. Since that time, Embroidery Garden released an updated set of the machine embroidery designs for her lips zipper cases, with four sizes and no raw edges showing on the inside linings.

Last March 2014, a friend asked me to make one of the wristlet sized lips cases using black and white musical notes fabric. I don't recall which size case she requested - it was either the small or medium wristlet.

Whichever size she wanted, I made the other one! When I realized my mistake, there was just enough of the fabric left to make the correct size, so she ended up with two matching wristlets. She also asked that the wrist strap be modified so that it is permanently attached but can be easily and securely fastened around the straps of her purse or tote bag.

To accomplish this, I added a small d-ring on a fabric tab near the base of the strap during the in-the-hoop construction of the wristlet. After it was finished, a lobster clasp swivel snap hook was stitched onto the end of the strap and a small rivet added for reinforcement.

I like the way the lips cases look in black and white - they don't have to be just red or pink and they're not just for Valentine's Day!

Black and White Hipster Bag

In April 2014, I was a vendor at a small local craft fair hosted by Autism Speaks at the American Legion in Rochelle Park, NJ. One of the visitors loved the fabric on my black and white owl zipper case (described in this blog entry from 2013), but she wanted a shoulder strap and wasn't really interested in the owl design. She also admired the style of the Fab Feline Hipster Bag (see below) but preferred a bag almost as big as the owl case.

The solution was a custom-sized, large hipster-style bag with an adjustable shoulder strap.

To make the bag, I installed the zipper using just the necessary steps from the in-the-hoop machine embroider design for the large owl zipper case by Embroidery Garden. After the zipper was stitched in place, I removed the front of the bag from the embroidery hoop and finished constructing the bag on my sewing machine.

The bag was lined with a coordinating black print fabric and I added a slip pocket to the back. She loved it!

More Hipster Bags

The Fab Feline Hipster bag mentioned above, was made in the summer of 2013 in preparation for RBARI's 35th Anniversary at the Shelter, using the larger size in Embroidery Garden's Hipster Purse set.

The main part of the purse was made with cute kitty cats in various colors on a black background. The shoulder strap fabric had a coordinating paw print design and it was long enough to wear over the shoulder or across the body. The bag is just the right size to carry a wallet, phone, keys and a few other essentials.

A few weeks later, I made a similar hipster bag using black and white scottie dogs on red:

Both hipster bags have been sold. I don't have any new hipsters currently listed in my shop, but would happily make more upon request!

edited:
Nov-18-2018 Replace SewAmazin Flickr photos, uploaded to Google/Blogger; edit old links

Jul-26-2020 Edit main photo

Westie Christmas Tree Skirts and In the Hoop Stocking

2014-12-31T10:42:00.000-05:00

Back in May of 2013, I posted about a Westie & Scottie Christmas Tree Skirt that I made for a friend in 2012. Since that time, I've made a few more and wanted close out 2014 by sharing them here on my blog. Each tree skirt was made of premium craft felt with variations in the layout and designs.

This tree skirt was a custom order for Christmas 2013 and is almost identical to the Westie & Scottie version in my previous post, except that it has only white terriers:

In April 2014 I made a variation of the tree skirt and donated it to Westie Rescue of Tennessee for their Meet & Greet and Silent Auction event in May.

This version has only 4 pairs of Westies (instead of 6) and they are machine embroidered, just like the Christmas trees and holly leaves (from Embroidery Library's Christmas Heirloom Applique pack).

I originally digitized the applique design in 2011, using Penny's Free Westie Pattern to embroider Westie hand towels. The tree skirt version of the embroidery design has blanket stitches instead of satin stitching around the edges, to match the heirloom look of the Christmas trees and holly.

Here's a closer look at a pair of Westies with green bows at their neck:

I ran out of the 3/8 inch wide plaid ribbon I used on the previous tree skirts, so the bows on the Westies' necks are hand-tied using 5/8 inch wide ribbons in red and green gingham-style plaid, then hand stitched in place.

Over the summer, I received a request for another tree skirt; on this variation, the green and white rick rack colors are reversed:

And here's a close-up of a pair of Westies with red bows at their neck:

The tree skirts each measure about 50 inches in diameter and since the felt measures 72 inches wide off the bolt, I now have a good supply of red felt remnants! I decided to try making a stocking with the same Westie machine embroidered applique combined with Christmas Stockings In-the-Hoop from Five Star Fonts.

This stocking was donated to Lone Star Westie Rescue's Fundraising Auction on Facebook in July. The finished stocking is about 5 inches across at the top edge and about 10 inches tall and the inside is lined with a red and green striped cotton fabric. I modified the in-the-hoop instructions and instead of adding fabric to form a cuff at the top, I added white rick rack trim.

I really liked this stocking and hope to make more in 2015!

edited:
Nov-18-2018 Replace SewAmazin Flickr Photos with Google photos; edited old links