Mosaic Magpie

Texture

2012-02-12T17:11:00.000-05:00

When needlework is done

in one color, such as

whitework.

You quickly find

texture,

is the element

that adds

interest.

My friend Marjolein

and I will be

exploring the

element of texture.

Wednesday, Feb. 15th

we will share

with you a

fun project.

I hope you will

stitch along with us.

Love to all,

Deb

A Fine Example

2012-02-11T09:14:00.000-05:00

My last post was on sharing.

Today I would like to

introduce you to Anita.

Anita is a fine example

of one that shares her

knowledge with others.

Anita will be giving lessons on

Chikan Embroidery.

Anita says,

"This embroidery is a combination of techniques

–shadow work,pulled thread and surface embroidery"

The cost of these lessons....FREE!

How is that for sharing!

A fine example indeed!

You will need to visit Anita's

blog and send her

an email telling her you

would like to join in the fun!

Love to all,

Deb

Sharing

2012-02-09T08:59:00.000-05:00

In my opinion, sharing our knowledge

with each other is just.

one of those things,

we should do.

When we share, it is our way of wanting

something better

for those around us.

Something as simple as a recipe,

may help a new cook create a better dinner.

Share an extra coat and you help keep

someone warm.

This past weekend I had the opportunity

to see Leigh Ann Tuohy speak. She is

the Mom, in the book/movie,

"The Blind Side".

Her message was a bit like her,

Loud and Clear, help those that

society deems worthless and

see what happens.

She went a bit beyond giving

someone an extra coat or

sharing a recipe. She shared

her home, her wealth and

her heart.

Her message brought me to

tears several times

and caused a

little soul searching.

Something

that is good for all of us.

When my girls where in grade

school, I spent a great deal of

time volunteering in their schools.

I have sat on the floor in a

quiet hallway reading with a child.

A child that would scoot as close to

my side as they could while we read,

"Me Too! Said, The Chick"

(The Chick and the Duckling).

A child that had no one at home

to read with them.

A child that probably bore the

responsibility of trying to translate

for his parents.

I have also sat side by side in a classroom

with a young man that had "fallen

through the cracks". A young man

that needed to be moved on

to middle school in one way or another.

I will call him " B".

As B and I worked together, he would

occasionally want to try me. He would

refuse to do his work and tell me to do it!

One day during a math test,

a request came for B to come to the front office.

I quietly questioned the teacher,

what the office wanted

and could it not wait until after his test.

She was not sure,

so I went to the office.

I was told,

there was a truck that needed unloading

and they needed B's help.

I blew up and informed them

he was taking a test

and

would not be coming to unload the truck.

After, that incident,

B tried his best to do his own work.

He moved on to middle school and

graduated high school, a few years ago.

I would see him occasionally,

after our 5th grade year,

at football games, at the mall

wherever it was,

he always had a huge smile

and a

big bear hug for me.

Yes, Leigh Anne was right, give and you will

be blessed beyond measure.

"To those whom much is given, much is

required."

PS. The young man that I read,

"Me Too! Said The Chick" with,

in the ROTC program at school.

I must conclude this post saying,

I was not alone

in encouraging these young men.

As there were many good teachers

with daily guidance and love,

helped them along the way.

There are positive role models

that are involved in their lives,

today

wanting the best for them.

Love to all,

Deb

Rock Your Valentine

2012-02-01T16:01:00.000-05:00

A bit of vintage linen

and a rock,

became a daily reminder

of my love.

I found this small doily,

(it could have been a coaster)

in a box lot, I purchased

at a local auction.

After the doily was laundered

and pressed.

I took a simple

I Love You

stamp

and using

Staz On Ink

I stamped my

message of love.

I used an

embroidery floss,

that closely matched

the ink, to Back Stitch

out the message.

I had a smooth rock that

was close in size

to the embroidered doily.

Using the same thread

that I embroidered with,

I crocheted a simple mesh

pattern to attach the

embroidered piece around

the rock.

A crocheted chain attached

to the points of the doily

began the mesh.

Continuing on around each row,

I increased the number stitches

until the piece was large enough

to surround the rock.

Then I began decreasing the stitches

to enclose the rock completely.

If embroidery is not your thing,

a simple crocheted heart motif

is perfect for the front!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I found, I liked using

a stamped image

as an embroidery pattern.

So, I looked through my

stash of stamps and

found these Anna Griffin

Antique Alphabet Stamps.

Using the decorative corner

of a vintage napkin, I stamped

my initial.

I used Chalks Ink to

stamp with,

it was the lightest

ink I had on hand.

The stamped image was

so light, I stamped a

duplicate on paper

using a darker ink.

This became a

backup pattern

in case I lost my way

while I was stitching.

I used a Back Stitch

with accents of French Knots

to complete the monogram.

After the monogram was complete,

I washed the ink away with a

mild detergent and water.

This corner will be incorporated

into my whitework cloth.

Love to all,

Deb

CQJP and TAST

2012-01-27T14:57:00.000-05:00

CQJP Block

for January

is complete.

(Not a moment too soon either.)

I needed something in the

upper right corner, it

was a good place for

a button, bead and stitch

cluster.

I really like the mix of color

and texture.

The inspiration for my cardinal in the

tree branch came from my

backyard. I have decided to use,

"In My Backyard"

as my theme.

I will be featuring something

I can see in my backyard

on each block.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My TAST primitive

sampler has the first

4 stitches complete.

These stitches are my first

attempt at each stitch.

I want the sampler to have

an innocent,

informal look

to it.

Each stitch has a 1" x 2" area.
They will be worked in a brick like pattern.
At some point,
I will add the title;
TAST
2012
to the center.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back to work on my
Whitework Wrapping Cloth!

Love to all,
Deb

Classwork and I Got Mail!

2012-01-24T12:16:00.000-05:00

Karen Ruane's class

continues on. Each week

I am learning new things.

I did some further

embellishment on

Block One.

Added some buttons and a stitch

I can not find the name of.

A cross stitch on top of

another cross stitch

to Block 2.

Soon, Karen will be teaching us

eyelets and cut work, but

I couldn't wait I had to

try some for myself.

My edges are a bit ragged,

but that's okay

I am just learning.

We made a gathered piece of fabric,

that will serve as an embellishment.

To me the piece looks like a

wing. The words, I once

saw on the show

"Designing Women" came to mind.

As I remember it Suzanne

was trying to adopt a child.

There was a pillow

on the young girl's bed.

On the pillow were the

words:

"Children need

Roots to grow

and

Wings to fly".

I loved that saying

when I saw it,

and I still do today.

A mother's love should be

encouraging and strong,

with roots as deep

as the largest

tree would have.

With a strength that

will see you through

the most difficult of

times.

I am at the stage of

giving them

"Wings to Fly"

with my children.

One has entered

college and the other has

begun her career after

obtaining her degree.

The "Wings to Fly"

will be symbolic in my

white work cloth with

the addition of the gathered

fabric embellishment.

I hope to complete that section

in the next few days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the mail, I received

a special package from

a new blogging friend.

"Quilting Judy" and I

became friends while

participating in Shawkl's

recent Round Robin of sorts.

I stitched this block for Judy.

I wish Judy had a blog I could

direct you to. I am trying to

encourage her to start one.

Judy knows I am taking the

whitecloth class so she kindly

mailed me these 2 napkins

to use in my work,

along with some tatted flowers

to add to my crazy quilting projects.

Thank you again, Judy!

We are to use material/cloth

that is meaningful to us.

How fitting to include

these gifts from

my new friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Spring Garden Round Robin

block returned home.

Thank you Rachel, Cat, Rengin, Susie

and my good friend Dee Dee for

creating such a nice keepsake.

Now back to stitchin'

Love to all,

Deb

As I "See" It

2012-01-21T09:35:00.000-05:00

As a preface to this post, please watch

this short video.

What are the words

you use everyday

that with a little

twist,

could make them

more powerful

meaningful?

those around you

by being the person

who "sees"

the world

differently.

Love to all,

Deb

Friendship

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today, I went to visit a friend.

A little background about our

friendship.

I have had this friend since 1978.

She is 20 years older than me,

but we were always kindred spirits.

When I married 25 years ago,

she was at my side.

I have been by her side

through some great days

and days when her depression

was so deep

a hospital stay was the

only thing

that could help.

I washed her hair

and sat with her in a room

where everything was attached

to the walls.

No chance of using any item

in it

for self destruction.

I have been with her

to celebrate

the birth of her first grandchild.

I held her hand,

as we watched

her husband

being lowered

into

his resting place.

I live an hour away from her.

In the past 20 years I have seen

less of my friend, but we would

occasionally call or have lunch

together.

Back to the story,

I went to

visit her today.

I drove up her familiar street

hoping to see her out in the

yard filling her bird feeders.

I did see something in the yard,

it was not my friend,

but a

Sale Pending/For Sale sign.

I looked closer to see,

the windows were not covered

by the curtains

we had made together,

so long ago.

The house was empty.

Where was she?

I looked around

and began to remember

the fun times

we had shared

in this yard.

From laying in

the sun with a glass of

Carlo Rossi wine.

To the wedding of her son,

under the trees.

The trees we had

climbed in,

to decorate for that wedding.

I noticed a neighbor's

car in their driveway,

so I went

to find out what had happened.

The neighbor came to his door,

I introduced myself and

explained I was looking for my

friend.

He had only recently

moved into the house,

but he understood

the lady next door

was found in her yard

where she had fallen

and could not get up.

He had not seen her for months

and assumed

she was deceased.

He suggested,

I should call the realtor,

they may know the whole story,

I could not breathe

DECEASED....

but her birthday

was just last week.

I know I meant to call,

but somehow the

day had slipped away

without me calling her.

I then ran

to the neighbor

on the other side.

A neighbor that had

lived there for 60 years.

A neighbor I knew,

would know

what had happened.

She was home,

it was a home health nurse

that let me in the front door.

The neighbor

remembered my friend,,

but

thought she was gone......

I went back to my car,

in a daze,

from what I had heard.

Gone.......

I then began a frantic search

for my friend's son.

What was his new wife's name?

Where was it my friend told me

they had moved to?

Why had I not listened?

I found the phone number

after a search of the

Home Depot's phone directory.

My questions were answered.

My friend was gone,

gone to a nursing home!

A nursing home that was

on my way home.

I arrived at the nursing home

and was directed to her room.

As I entered, the tv was blaring

and she asked me if I could

"Please, turn the tv down."

I did and she thanked me.

I asked,

"Do you know who I am?"

She looked at my face

and a smile

spread across hers.

"Debbie, my darling,

How have you been?"

Well, the tears started flowing

as I explained, I thought

she was gone.

We hugged and both cried.

Cried so hard,

the nurse came to see what was wrong!

We had a lovely visit,

we talked about old times

and made plans for lunch

in the next few days.

Moral of the story:

We are all sorry,

for things we have done.

But, often we are more

sorry for the things we

didn't do.

Try to make

good choices today.

Choose to be a

blessing to someone.

We are all busy,

but it only takes

a moment to let

someone know

you care.

Love to all,

Deb

More Stitchin' with Gramma

2012-01-18T10:15:00.000-05:00

Monday's are spent at,

my Mother's house

sitting with my

96 year old "Gramma".

My mom still works,

so Mondays are stitchin' days,

with Gramma.

You may remember

last week,

I spent most of the day

answering the questions....

"What day is this?

and

"Is it lunchtime yet?"

Notice in the photo,

Gramma is eating,

the

first of 5

lunches.

When you are 96,

weigh about 90 lbs

soaking wet.

You can eat as many

lunches, as you like!

(I think I am gaining

weight just watching

her eat this often.)

No repetative questions

this time, but she did
have an andventure!

I found her on the
stairs!
She left her walker,

at the base of the

stairs, that led to

what once was

and until recently

her bedroom.

About 2 months ago

she began sleeping

in the bedroom

across the hall from

my mother.

No more stairs to

climb each night.

I am not sure what

she was after

if she was

on the way up,

coming back down,

but there she was

on the steps!

(She can still get around

and is pretty darn quick too!)
I guess I am not the
best sitter, as I was
not watching her
as close as I should have.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is the stitchin that was

accomplished Monday.

I cross stitched

"stitched with love"

over waste canvas.

More french knots

than I thought humanly

possible to stitch in one day!

While all the stitching was

going on the first block

was at home,

being "damp stretched".

The damp stretching process,
smooths out the surface,

while allowing the stitches

to stand proud of the fabric.

Love to all,

Deb

It Is Really None Of My Business!

2012-01-17T08:30:00.003-05:00

I thought I would share this recent email,

full of good advice.

(There will be a quiz at the end of this post.)

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy

5. Make time to pray.

6. Play more games

7. Read more books than you did in 2011.

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't overdo. Keep your limits.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:

25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything..

28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing!

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

34. GOD heals everything.

35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..

36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

37. The best is yet to come..

38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Which of the above is your favorite?

Mine is #30.

Very thought provoking.

We often worry so much what others think of us,

we don't follow our own dreams.

If I do ___, what if no one else likes it?

Should you really care.....

I guess if it is a decision

that affects more than yourself,

yes you should care.

When it comes to self expression,

creating something

that is totally new and different

or following your inner muse.

If you constantly

second guess yourself,

or are afraid to be you.....

the advice may come in handy.

After all,

if you are afraid,

to be you......

who will be?

Love to all,

Deb

Buttonhole Stitch

2012-01-16T13:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, Sharon B

called the Buttonhole Stitch

for the

TAST .

I have added the

Buttonhole Stitch

my CQJP.

In 2 different seam treatments.

As well as to my primitive sampler.

Love to all,

Deb

Classwork Continues

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Work is now complete on

Block One.

French Knots, Running Stitches,

Web Stitch, Cross Stitch,

Buttonhole Stitch, Rouleau Loops,

and Prairie Points all grace this

block.

Block One being complete it was

time to begin construction

on a few

more!

Kind of like potato chips,

I could not stop at one!

Love to all,

Deb

Karen Ruane's
Embroider, Embellish, Create Class

Whitework

2012-01-13T11:13:00.004-05:00

Oh, the fun I have been having.

Adding small puffs,

more french knots

and more french knots,

along with a few running stitches

to the block I am creating for

Karen Ruane's

Embroider, Embellish, Create Class.

More blocks to create,

more stitches to stitch.

Love to all,

Deb

Learning New Things

2012-01-11T18:28:00.000-05:00

Since my first visit to her blog,

I was enamoured.

In love with,

taken with,

charmed by,

fascinated by,

entranced by ,

fond of,

enchanted by,

captivated by,

enthralled by,

smitten with,

besotted with

Karen Ruane's

beautiful whitecloth work.

When I read she would be offering a class,

I was delighted!

When I was making out my list for Santa,

all I asked for was Karen's class.

The class has begun and

I am learning new things!

~~~~~~~~~~~

I first learned to create

the Rouleau Loops

and Prairie Points.

(Very dark here today, so my

white cloth is photographing

beige.)

You can see the Prairie Points here:

The Rouleau Loops here:

Karen has taken so much time and effort

to make the class easy to follow and

understand.

I had forgotten some of the tips and

techniques she had shared with

us, on one of the videos.

If, I had been in a classroom situation,

I would have had to rely on memory

or notes to complete the task.

Not with this class, at 11:30

last night I was rewatching the

video to refresh my memory.

You know,

I love crazy quilting,

the skills I learn

in this class will work for

crazy quilting as well.

Love to all,

Deb

CQJP Update

2012-01-10T16:13:00.001-05:00

CQJP Block Update:

You may remember my block

from last week.

On Mondays, I sit with my

96 year old Grandmother.

Please, no one ask me

what day it is,

if it is lunchtime yet?

Long story, long day!

It does however make for

a good day of stitching

I was able to add

my cardinal to the pine branch,

along with more pine needles.

I was also able to begin

the seam treatments.

The newest TAST

has been announced.

Next, I will be adding the

Buttonhole Stitch

to my sampler.

Love to all,

Deb

TAST/CQJP Week One Fly Stitch

2012-01-06T14:19:00.000-05:00

Week One of the TAST is the fly stitch.

I am making a very primitive sampler,

using the stitches called each week.

The fabric is Osnaburg with the stitching

being done with DMC Cebelia (a 20 weight

thread).

The next photo is my CQJP block.

I will using the TAST stitches on my

blocks. The pine needles have been

worked using the fly stitch.

I will be adding a Cardinal to the

branch along with stitches on the seams.

It is not too late to join

all the fun. Just get

your needles out and

start stitchin!

Love to all,

Deb

Inspire

2012-01-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

My word for 2012.

I had a time coming up

with "my" word.

Believe, has long been

my favorite word, but

I needed a new word.

So, I put on my thinking

cap, it had grown a little

snug, since I don't use it often.

Words kept coming to

mind, but somehow they

just did not fit.

In my kitchen I have a desk.

A desk where I keep a few

special things. The altered

bottle I used as my header,

when I first started blogging.

A bird nest, my youngest

daughter, headed off for college

this year.

We had an "Empty Nest" party

before she left.

I have some roses from the yard,

a heart shaped stone I found.

There are plants I have

started from small leaves.

A book, I once

found at a yard sale.

All things special only to me.

Just a desk, where I sit and

pay the bills, address a package

to a friend, or just sit and

daydream.

Yesterday,

I was sitting there,

I looked up,

and there was my word!

It was right in front of me,

all this time.

I had created

this vintage plate window

to sell. When I am in the

middle of churning out

my products, I will often

hang them in the window.

I liked how it looked

hanging there,

so, I kept it. I don't do

that very often.

Maybe, my muse,

whispered into my ear,

"Keep the plate,

one day it will

inspire you"!

I am glad I listened.

My word for 2012

Love to all,

Deb

Crazy Quilting Journal Project

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am ready for the New Year

with a new project.

For those of you not familiar

with CQJP, it is an annual

challenge issued to needle

workers/artists to create a

major crazy quilt project in

a 12 month period. There

are guidelines to follow and

monthly photo submissionsto be made.

You have seen me create a

block or hearts for Round Robins

or a Swap, but not a full

project.

I have completed the piecing

of 12 blocks. The fabrics are

mostly silk with a lightweight

linen and a cotton or two.

The colors are cream and

lavender. I have been

collecting threads, silk

ribbon and beads to

use for the embellishing.

I have my needles and I am

ready to stitch the New Year in!

Love to all,

Deb

What Will Your Word Be?

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Jillayne and Laurie have each mentioned

the same topic on recent blog posts.

"Find a word that inspires you."

A word that for the next year, can

bring to mind a dream, a hope or

a goal.

Coming up with a word sounds easy

.........at first.

Suztats left Jillayne a comment that

said her word would be "Industrious".

Wow, what a word, but that word would

never work for me. I am just too lazy for

such a word.

"Believe", has long been a favorite word

of mine. But, using that word would

be a bit of a cop out.

I need a new word, a word that speaks

to my soul. A word I can live up to.

So, for the next few days I will be thinking.

Thinking of a word that I can pin to my

inspiration board. A word that can be

taped to my bathroom mirror, so I will

see it every morning.

Maybe, a word that can have a different

adjective added to it each month. Jillayne

has a friend that chose "Gratitude" for her

word and will add an adjective to her word

each month such as "Joyful Gratitude".

I think this is a great idea, as it gives

new meaning to your word and allows

you to thoroughly explore your word.

Give it some thought and try to come

up with a word that can be yours

for the next year. I will

announce mine on

New Years Day.

What will your word be?

Love to all,

Deb

RR Blocks In The Mail

2011-12-28T16:54:00.000-05:00

I have completed the blocks for the RR with

the Shawkl Group.

Susan's

Becky's

Judy's

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I recently won this wonderful

assortment of elegant fabrics.

Carolyn of Evening Star Designs

had this beautiful

Wintry Blue, Silver and White Package,

Thearica of

Pigtales and Quilts

was giving it away.

The Special Inspiration Package

is still available on Carolyn's Site.

The fabrics are beautiful and I think

I will make a stocking using them.

Really there are enough fabrics

and embellishments

to make 2 stockings.

Thearica is always having wonderful

giveaways. She is also organizing

a fun time for crazy quilters.

You may like to participate in her

Showcase ! She will be having

daily giveaways and prizes.

Love to all,

Deb

Pigtales and Quilts: Calling ALL Crazy Quilters!! - Are You Getting Ready For The Show?

2011-12-28T16:47:00.000-05:00

Pigtales and Quilts: Calling ALL Crazy Quilters!! - Are You Getting Ready For The Show?

I Got A Scarf...Now What?

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Check out this cute video!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for some major inspiration:

I'm on the list and you can be too!

This link will take you there.

Love to all,

Deb

Merry Christmas To All

2011-12-23T15:56:00.001-05:00

For we have seen His star in the East

and have come to worship Him." (NIV)

Love to all,

Deb

Worth Waiting For

2011-12-08T05:50:00.001-05:00

Marie was having a celebration.

A big celebration 1000 posts and 40 months of blogging!

To celebrate she had a Giveaway .

I was the lucky winner!

I opened the box to find this beautiful

Patience Brewster card.

Her artwork is amazing!

Then the fun of opening all the

little treasures Marie had packaged,

in dress making pattern paper.

Look at this sweet pincushion

she made in a pecan shell!

Also, included were these

vintage candy making molds.

I love these and will be using them as

holiday decorations in my kitchen.

Marie, thank you for all of these wonderful things.

I have put the box in my sewing room and it looks

right at home!

Marie is active on

Where I follow her.

I titled this post "Worth Waiting For" as Marie's dear

Father-In-Love passed away. I told her to send

the package when things had settled down.

Marie wrote many posts on how special he was.

She hoped he would find peace in the fact

the Lord was waiting with open arms

to carry him home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another "Worth Waiting For" came from Kathy!

Kathy was celebrating 450 followers!

Kathy creates the most beautiful beaded

Czech Glass Dragonfly Buttons.

She has an Etsy shop where she sells

the buttons and buttons that have been

beaded like the one I received.

Beading is not her only talent.

She is a Crazy Quilter extraordinaire

and has a book published!

If that were not enough...she hand dyes lace motifs

and sent me several of those as well!

Kathy is hosting a stitching swap. A group of us

each created 3 blocks. Kathy will be stitching

on one and the other 2 go out to members

of the group. In February our blocks will come

back to us, beautifully embellished!

Since Kathy would be mailing me blocks

I asked her to wait and mail the

beaded button at the same time.

Thank you Kathy, I love the button and will

create a special project to showcase it.

Worth waiting for, yes indeed!

Love to all,

Deb

Excuse Me! Did You Call Me A Floozie!

2011-12-04T18:14:00.001-05:00

Michelle sent this floozie! What a great idea.

Lorraine sent this sweet heart! My daughter thought it looked

like something I had made. I guess Lorraine and I are on the

same wavelength as my ornaments were felt too!

Laura (who does not have a blog) sent this beautiful button wreath.

How did she find so many green buttons!

It was a fun swap and I am glad I participated.

Love to all,

Deb

Outgoing Mail

2011-11-30T08:22:00.001-05:00

I have been participating in

2 Christmas Swaps.

Laurie hosted the swap

with Button Floozies.

We were placed in groups

of 4. We made an

ornament for each person

in the group.

The girls in my group were

Lorraine, Michele and

Laura.

When all their ornaments

arrive I will post the photos.

The other swap was with

my friends over at

Chains of Hearts. We

did a postcard swap.

This was something new for me.

I have mailed my postcard

on to Rose Anne .

Rose Anne has created

many postcards and

was kind enough to share

her knowledge with us.

Thanks Rose Anne!

I will post a photo

of her postcard when

it arrives!

Love to all,

Deb

To Continually Expand Your Creativity

2011-11-11T07:04:00.001-05:00

When I read the words,

expand your creativity

and improve your skills.

I knew I had to read,

what all this was about.

Everyone is welcome!

http://www.cqjp.org/

I am joining and I hope you

will too!

Love to all,

Deb

They Got It!

2011-11-06T10:06:00.001-05:00

I often find the beauty in

things cast off by others.

Even my friends will jokingly

say, "Give it to Debbie, she

will make something with it."

There are even friends that

call me a hoarder. They don't

see the potential in things I

choose to save.

Yesterday and next weekend

I will be selling some of the things

I have created from what others

may call trash.

When you choose to sell things

that are a bit off the "beaten path",

you are never quite certain how

they will be received.

You put your time, energy and

yes, even your heart into it.....

and put it out there for others

to judge.

Sometimes, people will walk

by my booth and hardly notice.

Other times, someone will pause

and comment how unique an

item is. Then there are those

times when someone,

really gets it!

I try to sit back and work on

some stitching, while in my

booth space. This allows the

potential customer time to

see what I have to offer and

think about who they could

buy it for, if not for themselves.

Occasionally, you can tell they

are studying things, so they

can go home and create

something themselves.

That is fine and if they ask me

questions, I truthfully answer

how I made it and where I

purchased any supplies needed.

I have always felt that we owe it

to each other to share our

knowledge, after all that is how

we all learn.

Then there are times when you

see people quietly looking and

picking up items with an

appreciation for them.

This happened yesterday.

I noticed them whispering to each

other. They lingered and I wondered

if they would soon ask, how to make

the item. They did ask a question...

"Is this your artwork?"

Artwork..."Yes, I made everything

you see."

"Could you please..."

Okay, here comes the construction

question.

"....tell us your thoughts when you

were creating this piece?"

My thoughts? You want to know

why I made something.... not how.

"Yes, I found the snakeskin in my

backyard. I had the perfect bottle

to put it in. As I decorated the

bottle with solder and glass, I

thought of the classic Good vs. Evil.

How a snake often represents sin/

evil and how the Cross is a symbol

of conquering that sin/evil.

To me that was what this piece

wanted to be."

"That is exactly what we wanted

to hear!" "We love your artwork!"

(There was that artwork word again.)

"Thank you, it is so nice to have

someone that, really gets it."

After they purchased a few things

and walked away, I thought how

good it felt to have someone

understand.

This was not just an old bottle

rescued from the trash. Not just

a creepy snakeskin. "Why would

you pick THAT up?"

To them it was "artwork"!

I felt like the Grinch at Christmas,

my heart filled with so much joy,

I thought it would explode!

So, if you are like me and maybe

have a few too many things, you are

going to use... someday. Things that

others wonder why you keep.

Things maybe rescued from the trash.

Because, when the day comes, that

someone looks you in the eye and

you see appreciation and approval

staring back at you. That day is

....priceless!

Love to all,

Deb

A Dream Come True

2011-11-01T22:15:00.000-04:00

When you are a fabric lover like I am,

you dream of a shop like....

Cotton Blossom Quilt Shop!

The owners Keith and Naomi Cable

are ready to help you create a

successful quilting project.

From the moment you open the door

you are greeted with friendly faces

and helpful advice.

Keith discusses an upcoming class

with one of the knowledgeable

teachers.

So many bolts of fun fabric!

Fat quarters just waiting

for good home!

Sale fabrics!

No need to keep a red pencil in your

glove box. You know, the pencil you

use to mark a sale price on things

before you take them in the house!

An example of one of the many classes.

Naomi offers long arm quilting, if

hand quilting is not how you like

to spend your time. Although,

there is something zen like, in

the rythmic stitching of cloth.

More Moda fabric than should really

be seen in one place.

I have so much looking at these

fat quarters and coming up with

great combinations.

I know, I am a crazy quilter, not

a traditional quilter. Why would

I be so excited about a traditional

quilt shop?

I pieced these blocks for a crazy quilting

Round Robin Block swap,

using fabrics from the

Cotton Blossom Quilt Shop!

They have an online shop,

so you can visit and

have fun too!

Love to all,

Deb

Homework Complete

2011-10-18T11:40:00.000-04:00

Homework was never one of

my favorite things to do.

But, somebody had to do it

and if I was going to put my

name on it, it had to be me.

I am taking an online

class with Sharon B .

The class is called

Encrusted Crazy Quilting.

Week 1 we were given

instruction on design

and color choice.

We were asked to use

patterns and texture

for visual interest.

My block is complete

and I am ready to

tackle the 50 pages

of Week 2's lesson!

If you are considering

taking an online class,

this is an excellent one.

I have already learned,

so much useful information

that can be used in other

medias.

Love to all,

Deb

Royal Mail

2011-10-12T22:06:00.000-04:00

Karen Ruane

I have called her the

"Queen Mother of Titivation"

tr.v. tit·i·vat·ed, tit·i·vat·ing, tit·i·vates.

To make decorative additions to;

One look at her blog

and you will see why.

Now I ask you,

"How beautiful is that?"

Karen recently had a giveaway

for "Puffs"

not the tissues,

but these.

Close up for detail.

I was delighted to find out,

I had won!

I stalked that mailbox

waiting for the puffs to arrive.

When I looked at the

envelope, I knew

right away it was

from Karen.

Royal Mail!

From the

"Queen of Titivation"

herself!

Karen gives online classes.

She just began a new class

on buttons and more.

If you enjoyed the puffs,

take a look at the buttons.

Karen has promised

to give another

embroider-embellish-create

class in January.

(DH, if you are reading this,

the class would make a

wonderful

Birthday present!)

Love to all,

Deb

Boho Bags

2011-09-20T09:54:00.000-04:00

I have been bitten by the

Boho Bag Bug.

I went to the local thrift shops

looking for a bag that I liked.

I had intentions of taking the

bag apart, using that for

a pattern. None of the bags

I found,

were really what I wanted.

I dug through my stash of old

patterns. Finding one for a purse

I had made back in the 70's.

I liked the shape,

but it needed to be bigger.

Using the pattern as a guideline, I

did a redesign drawing my

own pattern.

While I was at the thrift store I found this

lovely yellow 100% wool blanket.

$2.00...I could not pay for it, fast enough!

I brought it home and after several

washings in HOT water, it felted nicely.

I then tried out the pattern I had created.

Next, I found this piece of vintage

needlework in my stash and made

a small lunch bag.

I then got busy on the Boho Bags.

I love the feel of the cut velvet and the

upholstery weight chenille back.

Remembering the detail of, you should

look good when leaving a room I added

a touch of stitching to the back pocket.

This bag is slightly smaller and

has wonderful fabrics as well as a

removable flower tassel on the front.

The next is my favorite. I love the

subtle differences in the creamy

shades of fabric. Those subtle

differences, also make it difficult

to photograph.

Close-up of front details.

Fringy back pocket too!

The purses are lined with pockets

and

a magnetic closure.

I have a craft show coming up in

6 weeks.

I will be in my sewing room,

if you miss me!

Love to all,

Deb

More Cuff Bracelets

2011-08-31T03:00:00.000-04:00

Remember the fiber festival I went to, back in the spring?

Well, I bought some silk pieces while I was there.

This piece was green on one side and blue on the other.

I ruched the silk and attached some vintage

crystal aurora borealis beads.

The backing is a black velvet ribbon. There are

a few matte blue glass beads scattered across

the surface.

The other cuff bracelet was created on a felted

wool base. I will be applying a grosgrain

ribbon to the back to cover my stitching.

I have crocheted several of the motifs.

The heart, on the lower right, is one I created.

There are vintage buttons and more beads

some of those have an aurora borealis finish

which adds sparkle to the bracelet.

Now, I must get to sewing on my Boho Bag.

I will post an update soon!

Love to all,

Deb

Boho Bags

2011-08-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

Have you noticed all the bloggers that

are creating boho bags?

Pat Winters has some lovely ones,

this is one she recently created.

Cathy created one as well,

she even passed along helpful hints

so nice of her to point out her

errors, so we would not make

those same mistakes.

I kept looking at these bags,

thinking I could make one.

But, all those different fabrics,

where would I find them?

You know I have quite a fabric

stash of my own. Could I find

just the right fabrics to use?

Then I happened to notice this:

on Gerry's blog.

A kit available in her etsy shop!

I have long adrmired her buttons,

she handpaints each one!

The boho bags were great

lots of fabrics and trims!

Here is the kit I purchased

Gerry's etsy shop :

When the kit arrived Gerry had included one of her

handpainted buttons!

Gerry also has a great tutorial on creating a

boho bag on her blog.

Ladies, start your sewing machines!

Let the fun begin.

Will post my completed bag soon!

Love to all,

Deb

Swatches

2011-08-18T13:22:00.001-04:00

I recently came upon this blog post.

http://wildmuse.net/foundling-swatches/

The post tells the story of the

Foundling Hospital opened in 1741.

Here is another link and where I found the

image above.

http://www.neonatology.org/classics/fh1749/fh1749.html

I was so touched by the post on

http://wildmuse.net

I sent the link to many of my

email friends.

If you get a moment read the post.

You all know I am a fabric lover,

but to think of a small swatch

of fabric, holding such a bond

to a child.

What a story.

Love to all,

Deb

Stick A Pin In It

2011-08-15T20:58:00.001-04:00

With the help of my daughter and DeeDee I have found
a very useful website. Pinterest is a great way to keep
track of the things you find while blog hopping. I used
to spend a lot of time trying to remember where I found
that cute....., you think I would remember where that....
was? Now, I don't have to try to remember, I simply
stick a pin it and save it to one of my virtual pinboards.
I have just started adding items to mine and I love it
already! There is a link on my side bar!
Love to all,
Deb

Block Complete, Ready To Swap

2011-08-10T11:03:00.001-04:00

After receiving a few suggestions

on ways to improve my block.

I have made the following additions.

Gerry thought the butterfly looked

lonely, so I added a couple of friends

a dragonfly,

and a beetle.

Gerry also thought the stitches below

the butterfly should be extended

up to the crocheted doily. Thank

you Gerry, I learn so much from

both your blogs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(We will pause now for

a brief message.)

If you are new to Crazy Quilting

or just want to learn some

new things, check out

Gerry's "block talk".

She takes a crazy quilt

block and gives examples

of how the block could

be improved, as well

as pointing out the positives.

In her examples she does

a little editing magic,

that actually shows what

the block would look

like, with the changes made.

This has allowed me to

"see" through her eyes and

actually understand what

she is explaining!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back to the block,

The small yellow stitches

below the basque stitch were

bothering me.

Donna took time from her

camping trip to help me come

up with a solution. After

removing the stitches,

I decided it looked better

and left well enough alone.

(I know this fact will surprise

some of my friends, I am always

a more is better girl!)

After stitching the additions

the block spent the night pinned

to my ironing board for blocking.

Here is the completed block!

It is now ready for the

Do Your Own Block

Swap 3.

Thank you for all the suggestions and

comments. Especially, Maureen she is an

ever present encourager, a wealth

of knowledge and I am blessed

to have a friendship with her.

Love to all,

Deb

Just A Stitchin'

2011-08-06T10:21:00.002-04:00

My block for the Chains of Hearts

"Do Your Own Block 3" is

complete.....I think.

I have another week before the actual

swap, so I will leave the block out

where I can see it through out the day.

I have found that what looks good today,

may need more stitching tomorrow.

Hope you are having a beautiful morning!

Love to all,

Deb

New Stitch on the Block

2011-07-11T21:52:00.003-04:00

I have begun work on a new DYOB.

(Do Your Own Block)

with the Yahoo Group

Chains of Hearts.

First you create a block to keep and

a block to swap.

Here is the block I have created to swap.

Each week a different stitch is called to

be used on your block.

The first stitch for this block was,

called by Margreet,

the Herringbone Ladder Stitch.

Maureen picked the next stitch

the Basque Stitch.

The stitching is not complete as

shown here. The next step is to

take the stitches and embellish

them. Take them from plain to

fancy.

I will post those additions soon!

Love to all,

Deb

Vintage Pie Safe Redo

2011-06-27T10:06:00.000-04:00

The Pie Safe was my

Great Grandmother's.

In the 1970's my

mother gained possession of it.

As was the rage, in those

days, she painted it

"Avocado Green"

There must have been some

visitors at one time.

When my eldest daughter graduated from

college and found a place of her own.

I transformed her old room at

home into a sewing room.

Needing space for fabric storage,

I thought of Granny's Pie Safe.

I brought it home and began the

process of taking it back

to it's old look.

New drawer pulls, hinges and

a fresh distressed coat of paint

brings it back to it's vintage look.

I even left the mouse hole in the

back, although I hope I have

no visitors!

I have begun the process of filling

it up. The drawer holds my

embroidery threads. I will begin the

process of folding all the fabric in

neat uniform pieces to stack on

the shelves.

I wonder how long it will stay

that way? I'd give it a week

at the most!

Love to all,

Deb

Target's Lack of Customer Service- Update

2011-06-23T22:00:00.002-04:00

After a recent purchase at Target, I was sadly disappointed in the

"Customer Service". I realize times are hard for retailers, but in this

instance I can only say shame on them.

No wait, I have a blog

and I can say much more than shame on them.

I can let you read the actual letter

of complaint I sent to them.

This was an online order due to the fact it is not sold in stores. Since this is a carpet cleaning machine it is not something that is used on a daily basis. I used the cleaner for the second (2) time about a week ago. At that time the bracket that held the water tank in place broke. I tried contacting your customer service phone number numerous times and was kept on hold for more than an hour with no one answering. I contacted Hoover (the floor cleaner manufacturer)they instructed me to take the cleaner to a local repair center. I took the cleaner and was informed I would have to pay 35$ to send the cleaner for repair. I then decided to try to contact you (Target. com) to return the product. Again no answer at your "Customer Service" phone number. After several days of no answer and listening to Target theme song music on hold I decided to return the item to the store. I made a 20 mile trip to a Target store to see if I could get some help. I explained my situation and we tried to pull my receipt on the store kiosk. The store clerk then called to get a return "approval code". The clerk called your phone line and got an immediate answer. Jackie (the clerk) explained this was a different phone line than the customers called and she could get someone to answer. Yes they answered but then after telling them the order # and receipt #, we were put on hold. I said now you will see how I had to wait. As customers gathered behind me I offered to hold the phone and Jackie could take care of those that waited. I was on hold, standing in your store at the "Customer Service" desk for 90 minutes. That's right one hour and 30 minutes. Jackie said she was sorry for my wait and surely someone would answer soon. Jackie then took a break as I stood holding the phone waiting for an answer. After holding on the phone for that amount of time. I was told by someone "That there was nothing that could be done this was past the 90 days. I explained how I could not get through to the customer care center by phone and had to make a trip to the store. I was not wanting to return the item, just because I did not like it I was attempting to return it due to the fact it was broken after the 2nd time I had used it. Again I was told sorry nothing we can do. Customer service....I think not. If this product had been abused or I had attempted to return it after the 1 year warranty was expired I could accept the answer I was given. But for a product to break on the 2nd use and for the 90 days to have expired by a few days and given that answer was not customer service. To be kept waiting a customer service desk for a hour and a half (90 minutes) on hold on the telephone is absolutely ridiculous. I am certain I will hear nothing from this complaint and if I do it will be the customary "Sorry there is nothing we can do." answer. It is good to know how stores handle complaints and it is great when they actually try to help you have a good shopping experience. It is also good to know when the opposite happens.

I feel much better now!

Love to all,

(except Target)

Deb

Update to post. Shortly after this post was published. I was contacted by Target. Over the course of several emails, Target had UPS come to my home and pick up the floor cleaner. After receiving the floor cleaner they sent me a gift card refund. Thank you, Target!
Who says Mommy bloggers have no power?!?

Margreet's Block

2011-06-12T21:43:00.001-04:00

Margreet's lovely block arrived!

Since I am new to the

Chains of Hearts

Yahoo Group

I was looking forward

to this moment.

The first thing I did

was grab a note book

and my magnifying

stitching glasses.

I studied the block and

took 4 pages of notes.

Yes, I want to learn

and this is an excellent

example.

I will share some of

the things on which

I took notes.

Margreet used all silk or satin

fabric. She hand pieced the

block. A variety of stitches

as well as threads were used.

Several of the combination

stitches were worked using

variegated heavier thread and secondary

stitches were worked with

a fine metalic thread.

Thank you, Margreet!

My block went to DeeDee ,

I do hope she likes it!

Love to all,

Deb

Everything Old is New Again

2011-06-10T13:49:00.000-04:00

It is wonderful to have a
Mother and Grandmothers

that share your interests.

I grew up surrounded

by women that loved to sew.

My mother's mother,

Gramma,

never met a

sewing machine she

didn't like.

Before she moved in with

my mother, she passed on

some things to me.

One of those treasures

was this Hamilton Beach

"Trustworthy"

Sewing Machine.

The machine still had a cord,

but I was afraid to plug it in.

It also had that great wood base.

I took it home, to be greeted

with, "What are you gonna do

with that?"

I really was not sure, but I didn't

let on. Always act as though

there is a great purpose for

everything you drag in.

Or hide it, before it can be seen!

I removed the piece that controls

the pressure foot

and added a simple

lamp fixture.

I was lucky it was a perfect fit.

I added a linen shade I covered with

white and pearl buttons.

It makes a great chair side light

for my sewing room!

Thanks Gramma,

for being a hoarder,

before we knew

what that was.

Hey, at least I got it, honest.

Love to all,

Deb

Rachel's Block

2011-06-07T16:42:00.000-04:00

I am in a Crazy Quilting group

on Stitchin Fingers.

There are 6 of us involved in

a Round Robin.

The theme of the Round Robin

is Spring Garden.

This is Rachel's Block:

Here is a closer look at what I have added.

I will be sending this on to Susan

and awaiting the next block.

Love to all,

Deb

Crazy Quilted Swap Block

2011-06-04T10:56:00.000-04:00

Here is the block I have completed

for the

"Do Your Own Block 2"

swap.

"Chain of Hearts"

is based in AU, with the focus of the

group being Crazy Quilting.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Love to all,

Deb

Comment Trouble Solved!

2011-06-03T09:35:00.000-04:00

It is so great to know younger bloggers!

Kelly

With my recent comment troubles,

Kelly came to the rescue.

"When you sign in to your

google account, uncheck the

stay signed in button"

THANK YOU KELLY!

It worked, I have been commenting

on everything this morning.

I had to stop and share,

in case any of you were

suffering from the

"I can't comment" Blues.

Visit Kelly she has a great

blog and lots of

giveaways!

We all love those giveaways!

Love to all,

Deb

Trouble In Comment Land

2011-06-02T09:40:00.000-04:00

The title says it all. Trouble in comment land, once again!

Love to all,
Deb

Harris Chapel Cemetery

2011-06-01T01:57:00.004-04:00

During our recent trip to Alabama

we witnessed some of the storm

damage to the Jackson Co. area.

The storm was an EF 4 Tornado on

April 27, 2011.

Video footage link here.

The following photos were taken in

the Harris Chapel Cemetery.

Most of the gravestones were undamaged.

The inscription reads:

Remember me as you pass by,

As you are now, so once was I.

As I am now, so you must be,

Prepare for death and follow me.

Trees were snapped off and uprooted.

It was reported one of the grave sites

had been disturbed.

The damage was repaired and

the land smoothed.

The flagpole stands as well as

one large tree.

Very little of the flag left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we heard that a grave site had been

disturbed, out first thought was of this

particular grave.

Many a ghost story has been told involving

this man. I am happy to report his

"resting place" was undisturbed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following is an excerpt from:

http://files.usgwarchives.org/al/jackson/cemeteries/harrisch.txt

LOCATED ON CO. RD. 91 OFF OF 117. THE CEMETERY IS LOCATED ON THE LEFT,

ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE HARRIS CHAPEL CHURCH BLDG.

THERE IS A MEMORIAL IN THE CEMETERY THAT SAYS EST. CIR. 1847.

HERE LIE THE REMAINS OF 16 UNKNOWN CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS, WHO WERE KILLED IN
BATTLE WITH UNKNOWN TROOPS FEBRUARY 3-4, 1865 AT THE BALIS LADD FARM 2.50
MILES SOUTH, UNION TROOPS WERE DISPATCHED FROM BRIDGEPORT TO SEIZE CONTROL
OF MOORES SPRING, AFTER ENSUEING BATTLE. 16 CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS DIED OF
WOUNDS INFLICTED BY THE NORTHERN TROOPS. THEIR BODIES WERE LAID TO REST BY
CITIZENS OF HOG JAW VALLEY.

Harris Chapel

(photo credit)

was once located directly across from

the cemetery.

I am sorry to report was

destroyed by the tornado.

Love to all,

Deb