Christmas in July Stitching

Hello lovely friends! We had a very hot day here - 106 and will be hotter tomorrow. Hope your nice and cool.
I've been stitching and made a few items with my sewing machine.
I had seen on The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery's web site - they had a very cute Christmas clear vinyl pouch that sold out very fast. After seeing on Instagram many people were signing up and had received their kits for their latest SAL Mystery pattern "A Very Merry Christmas Town". I couldn't resist and signed up the day before it was released. I decided to make my own clear vinyl pouch.

 Working with clear vinyl is new for me. I absolutely love the pouch I made. So nice to be able to see what's exactly inside. This is a fun SAL.

 Next I went ahead and made a Qsnap cover. The fabric is by Michael Miller called Pepperment Dot. I think the print and colors are so cute & fun. I've been enjoying using them. If you would like to make a Qsnap cover I followed Abbie's tutorial - the link is HERE

 For the mystery sal this is Clue 1 and I finished it today. I had all the supplies except for a few DMC threads. Hard to see in the photo but the fabric is 14ct Stardust Silver, DMC theads and the variegated green thread is "Dark Pine" by Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe and for the variegated red - "Buckeye Scarlet" by The Gentle Art Sampler Threads. For the gold metallic thread - DMC Diamant D3852 (after having this in my stash I finally I get to use it).

 "Peace" by Hands on Design

14ct black adia - DMC 

I stitched up a few ornaments from JCS August 2015 issue with their Christmas ornament preview. This design is like Cathy's line of chalkboard patterns that she has out. The candy striped fabric I will be using somehow when I make this up, also I have a board that I had picked up from Michael's. This was another fun chart to stitch.

 "A Christmas Quaker Medallion" by Giulia Punti Antichi

36ct Navy Bean Lakeside Linen

Threads: Ninas threads - "A Prim Christmas", Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe - "Dark Pine".

The Thread Gatherer - silk "Wine & Roses"

This chart is in JCS August 2015 issue as well.

And I did get some queen stitches in Sojourner, not many but did make some progress.
Thank you for your visit. With my love and appreciation - Annette

Goody Goody Binding Kit

Hi lovely friends! Learned of a darling tutorial to make this "Goody Goody Binding Kit". What caught my eye on this project was several helpful features it contains - a zipper pocket to hold Wonder Clips or binding clips, a cute holder for one or two spools of thread, and a pocket for goodies! And that cute strawberry scissor pouch. I just had to try and make one.
I know for just about all my cross stitch projects especially making ornaments I use sewing thread. And  I am so tired of poking myself with pins while sewing closed seams. I decided that for my treat to myself, once I made this, I would get some of those binding clips and goodies:))) I went to Joann's today and they had the binding clips on sale 40% off and there's a coupon for additional 25% off entire purchase (sale & regular priced items) for the next few days. I think I will get lots of use with this kit for the finishing of my cross stitch projects.
The tutorial is HERE by Vanessa of Lella Boutique blog.

 Zipper pouch on the left side.

 There are quilted lines all along the cover but I think I might of have used too thin of batting because the lines don't show up well. But they are there.

 I started on stitching the strawberry band on Sojourner. The strawberries are all done in Queenstitches.
It's super slow progress for me stitching these 2 over 4 on 40ct. I did try stitching with one thread but didn't like the look. So I am sticking with 2 threads over 4 as called for. I think I will change the thread color on the leaves because its so dark green that its too dark.  I haven't made up my mind yet. Will test a few other colors.

Hope you are enjoying the week. Out temps are in the 90's again...sigh.....
With my love and appreciation - Annette

Old project New finish

Hello lovely friends! Right after 4th of July we were having some cooler weather and I took advantage of it by making another project. Sharing with you today I have a finished project and at the end of this post I have an update on my progress of "Sojourner"!
I had gone on a hunt for a particular piece of fabric and in the drawer I was looking in came across a project that I had all the pieces traced & cut out. This was from 2011 right when I picked up my needle after a dry spell of over 10 to 15 years. I didn't decide to cross stitch at the time but got into embroidery.
Crab apple Hill was a new vendor to me and Meg Hawkey has tons of beautiful patterns that incorporate embroidery but also finishing them with sewing & quilting. This project appealed to me because of the soft colors of Spring and the finishing was all hand sewn.

 This whole project is made of wool felt. At the time I was only aware of felt squares that are available in craft stores. I was soon educated on wool felt. The quilt shop that I had bought my wools from in now out of business. They had a great selection of the wool felts all on bolts. The tiny hearts are individually cut out and then stitched to attach to the cover. The oval pearls I found in my moms stash (now mine). These beads she had left over from when she hand beaded my wedding gown.

 #812 "Embroidery Envelope" by Crab apple Hill

threads: Cosmo, Wildflowers by Caron 

So I decided that now was the time to do this project! And so happy how it turned out.

 The inside is a pale light green wool felt and cover & smalls are light cream wool felt. 

 Pocket 

 scissor & pen holder

Lee do you recognize the scissors? I added some sequins for sparkle so when I open it I get pretty winks - lol!

 pincushion 

 The heart is a double pocket and above a removable needlebook

 I didn't have any velcro but I did have this pretty elastic. I just open the needlebook and slip it in. Perfect!!!

Progress as of 7-12-2015

I've been stitching on Sojourner also - added a few more rows of the alphabet & bands.
Hope you are enjoying summer. Our temperatures will be climbing back up this week - so not looking forward to the heat! With my love and appreciation - Annette

4th of July weekend!

Hello beautiful friends! 4th of July is special because not only for celebrating Independence day here in the USA but also because its my sister's and Nannie's birthday. This was the first 4th of July not being with Nannie - ooooh how we miss her, we said a prayer for her that day. It was a day of remembrance, tears, and laughter all in one day. My son took it upon him self to organize a craft of making rockets. I placed them in a vintage Fenton vase that was gifted to us long ago from Nannie. We did have a make the best of it as we could. Didn't really see the fireworks but we should did hear them - no one wanted to go for a drive to watch them. Hope you got to see fireworks and had a good 4th of July.
I do have some stitching to share with you.

 "Sojourner" by Theresa Baird of Heart's Ease Examplar Workes

40ct Expresso linen by R & R Reproductions

Progress as of oops sometime last week. I stitched some floral's in the upper right corner and the border. I was thrilled that the border matched up perfectly first time. The inside border is all done in closed herringbone stitches.

 Progress of 7-6-2015, the poem is stitched one over one, first row of alphabet done and working on the band underneath.

Completed "Under the Sea"! WOOHOO!!! I made the binding and added the pretty crystal's all today! Just in time for Shark Week (lots of special document series of sharks on the Discovery channel this week).
I took some close up photos hoping to show the pretty crystals as bubbles.

 Thank you for stopping by. Always with my love and appreciation - Annette