A little finishing..

I finished a few pillows the other day and took a couple of quick pics.  I really like the way they came out.  Finishing is such fussy sewing but the result is so worth the fussing.  This is a Birds of a Feather canvas.  I used contrasting florals for the border and a bright coral dot for the back.

The second pillow is the Workbasket barn pillow.  I backed it with a brown velvety fabric.  Loved stitching this one, so many little details.

The third finish is a counted canvas piece.  I used the same brown fabric for this one.  The button in the middle is made of polymer clay and is really intricate.

And, last but not least, a little needlepoint belt buckle.  Quick, fun to stitch, and easy to finish.  This one is for a class that I'll be teaching locally. 
That's it for accomplishments that I have photographed lately.  I've knitted and sewn a few things that I'll post soon.  Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

A Little Knitting....

I've been doing a little knitting lately.  Oddly, I get the urge to knit hats in the heat of summer.  This one, modelled by my Didi, is knit in a lovely silk wool blend.  I added the stripe using a scrap of banana fiber to give it a little style. 

Little did I know how important the "slouch" is in hats for teens.  I have made several and they have been tested by Di and several of my sons friends (skater boys and musicians) and the amount of slouch that a hat has is super important to the overall look of the hat.  Too much or too little slouch and the hat will never be worn.  This hat has just the right amount of slouch, so several more will be made for back to school.  An all stripey one will be next.

 

This hat is stitched in Madeline Tosh Sport Yarn and it has the softest feel to it.  A little less slouch in this one, but still in the acceptable range, I'm told. 

 

I've been playing around with a variety of hat patterns with mixed results, and finally just decided to create my own.  Hats are pretty simple and knit up so quickly that they make great practice pieces.  I did have one fail, though.  I made up a simple baby hat, loved it, so I knit it up in a much lighter yarn, using the same size needles.  The finer yarn made the hat much smaller and I now have a little hat that is just the right size for an American Girl doll.  Live and learn.......

It's been a while......

It's been a while, quite a while since I've posted here.   Life gets busy and some things fall to the wayside.  Everyone here is fine, the Summer is in full swing, kids are growing like crazy.
I've been busy stitching, knitting, sewing and did I say knitting?  Who knew that knitting could be so much fun?  I used to knit a bit 20 years ago and I set it aside for other hobbies.  I recently picked it up again and I am hooked.  The yarns, the patterns, the instant gratification of Ravelry pattern downloads, so much fun!  I'll share some pics with you soon.

On the stitching front, I finally finished my LOVE needlepoint pillow this morning.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out.  It is 16" by 16".  I am starting another one in a fresh color combo in the next day or so.  I have to finish an angel that I am working on before I can put the first stitch in. 

I just put a new word tree pattern in my Etsy shop.  It's the LIBERTY tree that was featured in JCS awhile ago. 

 
   I hope that you are all enjoying the Summer!  Thanks for stopping by!