Best use of embroidery ever

http://vintagericrac.blogspot.com/2010/12/options.html
(not exactly kid-safe, although it's not smutty, either ... just not something you want to have to explain to your kindergartener, so be warned before you click through)

When in doubt, switch projects!

So I might be lacking mojo on the teachers' projects, but I'm zipping along on the embroidery I'm doing:

It doesn't look like much now, but it's the start of a tracing of one of LazyKid's early artworks.  This one was titled "Toudan," and features a bird that's recognizably toucan-ish.  Win!

This looks like a really cool idea

photo from http://www.spiraleyeneedles.com/index.html

Has anyone tried them? I'd love to know how they work.

I also love the idea that you can buy them enclosed in a greeting card. Now that's unique marketing!

Attack of the (formerly) UFOs

After a brief family meeting, it was decided that I would take some time this weekend to get started on my holiday etsy shop sewing, since I've got Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all looming on the horizon. My first goal was to clear out some of the UFOs that have been hanging around, clogging up the cutting table and taking up space in my brain.




So, in roughly the order they were completed, here's the list of the FOs from this weekend:

1. SWAK blanket as a gift for a friend.
2. Two custom mermaid costumes.
3. A school bag for Lazy Kid, who starts "real" preschool tomorrow.
4. Some throw pillow covers for Christmas, made from redwork patterns I got here. Sorry for the embarrassingly bad photo, but I was in a hurry. Notice I've got two pillow covers but only one pillow? Waiting for a sale at Joanns to get another one ...
5. Two eyelet lace SWAK blankets for the shop.
6. A Halloween Hexagon quilt from stash fabric, which is all basted and ready to start quilting.
7. Three madras plaid homespun SWAK blankets for the shop.
8. A swirly wool toddler/child hat that I'm insanely proud I designed myself. See how the stripes swirl and decrease toward the top of the hat? Brilliant!
9. Pieces for the next baby quilt for the shop cut out and ready to start piecing.
10. And, if I stop typing and get my butt in gear, I may be able to finish my first pair of winter socks of the season, which are about 3/4" from the toe decreases right now.

So I'm going off to watch football (yawn) and knit furiously fast. Hope your weekend was equally productive!

Not a pattern, but it IS new merchandise

Now available in the store. So cute, it makes me want to hide it in a closet and keep it for myself.

And now for something a little different

This is what the mindless stitching turned into - a set of four framed mini quilts, one for each season. My favorite is fall:

Now available in my etsy shop - get 'em while they're hot!

WIP Wednesday

I haven't decided what it's going to be when I'm done with the embroidery, but I'm having fun with the mindless follow-the-line stitching. Just what my brain needed this week!