Merry Christmas!

Here are the photos as promised!

I think that the little guy and his snowman friend are enjoying the carolers!

Getting Excited for Christmas!

Well, it has been a busy few weeks with work and family gatherings.  I have finished two more pieces and stitched a couple others.  I will have to post some pictures when I get some batteries for my camera! In my mind I assumed we had a drawer of batteries, and other odds and ends, but when I looked, there wasn't any batteries in the drawer! So I searched high and low for some, but to no avail.  As soon as I get the pictures I will post them. 

Estonian Snowflakes

I found these wonderful snowflakes to stitch up from the amazing Needleprint site.  The snowflakes were fun to stitch and I am thinking of how to make them into ornaments. I'm a bit slower than most with finishing, but since I've started this blog I can happily say that I have been finishing projects! I have finished a second pinkeep for a friend and can only show the back of it, since the front will give it away.  Once Christmas is over, there will be a lot of pictures of the fronts of the pinkeeps so look forward to January!

Question: How does one stop the fraying of cord? I knotted the cord that is on the pinkeep but I am concerned that it will come undone.  Will craft glue work?

First Pinkeep!

Well, I managed to finish my very first pinkeep! Certainly not perfect but it is still lovely.  I'm sure my mom-in-law will love it.  Now I need to reorganize my sewing desk and set up my sewing machine so I can get on with the rest of my projects.  I've been very busy lately and will get busier as the weeks go on, so I will try and update when I can.

Here are some photos of the pinkeep as well as this great little "Merry Christmas" Design from Nan at Threadwork Primitives.

My trusty old Stork scissors

Some cotton fabric I found at my moms's

28ct Evenweave Design by Nan from Threadwork Primitives DMC threads

See the holly fabric? I just got that and it will work perfectly

A Tale of Two Thumbs

Wow.  It took me an hour to stitch two parts of a pinkeep today!  I didn't even know that an hour had passed until my husband called me and said "Haven't you left yet?"  I was supposed to be at my Nana's for her birthday party by 2 p.m., but got caught up with my two thumbs trying to fiddle around with "perfecting" the edges of my pinkeep.  I take my hat off to all you ladies (and gents!) who make their stitching finishes look so perfect and easy.  Perhaps since it was my first time crafting a pinkeep, I should be easy on myself.  I just hope my next three...or is it four...will be easier and faster. 

Once I arrived at my Nana's, I rifled through her big button tin and pulled out some really great buttons.  I told her to keep her eyes out for charms, ribbon, and all sorts of crafty things that I could use for future projects.  It was great fun for the both of us, since she has saved those buttons for well over 50 years!  We had a lovely dinner with wine and a yummy cake and talked about all sorts of things.  My aunt gave her a beautiful picture of a blue heron, from the Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park.  My aunt is a very talented photographer and should be selling her prints!  I might get some of her prints to post on my blog for people to see until I help her start her own. 

Here are some photos of the pinkeep in process, although I still need to add the ribbon and whatnot for decoration. There is an uneveness on the top part of the pinkeep that I just couldn't get to work for me.  I think it has something to do with the cardboard I cut out :(

Look at those ghastly corners!

Buttons!!