The Stitch Up

Christmas Craft-A-Rama

I did my yearly Christmas craft exchange with my friend Teresa this year and the them this year was: garlands!

What I love about this exchange is seeing how we each interpret the assignment. My friend Teresa is so creative and she will often incorporate vintage items into her projects and they end up having a quirky and cool vibe - very much like my friend herself - that I love.

My friend Teresa used a garland she found on Etsy as the base for her design. 

She then modified a Danish pattern for the little trees as the trees were very tiny in the original pattern. She made the trees bigger and then used some of the vintage items she’s collected over the years to ornament them.

My cat is already a big fan.

I wanted to go with a forest friends theme for my garland project and realized that the patterns I have from Alicia Paulson for felt ornaments would work great for this. I made a few changes in order to give everything a cohesive "woodsy Christmas" feel and I also created a fox pattern to add another cute animal to the mix.

I also created a "snowy mountain" pattern, although that is pretty much just a couple of triangles put together!

Once again I love how different our projects are: what inspires us, how we put our own spin on the assignment and how it reflects our personalities. If you’re interested in our past projects you can take a look here, here, and here!

This year, Teresa and I were not the only ones getting crafty. Each year my husband and I trade off on who will decorate the fireplace mantle. I tend to be a little one note: I have a collection of Christmas deer and I usually make them the focus of my display.  Last year I had the deer having an "Ugly Christmas Sweater Party":

My husband on the other hand gets VERY creative. His last installation two years ago was an ode to the Christmas Truce in the Hurtgen Forest during WW2.

This year he completely outdid himself.  He created a full replica of Martinis restaurant from the movie "It’s a Wonderful Life".

This is our favorite Christmas movie to watch and Martinis is the location of some of the major moments in the movie. My husband made the restaurant replica from scratch, adding indoor and outdoor lighting and even a light up "Martini's" neon sign.

The special touches include the “Ask Dad – He’ll Know” sign, which graced the soda shop where a young George worked.

I expect this to be a treasured part of our Christmas decorations for years to come.

We're now in that final few days ahead of Christmas where the gifts have been bought, crafts have been completed, treats have been baked and we are ready to just relax and soak up the season.  Wishing a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to all and hoping your holiday crafting has been fun!

2020 End of Year Wrap Up

I didn't get as many Christmas crafts done as I had hoped this year however, my friend Teresa and I did do another Christmas themed craft exchange since last years Elf exchange went so well.  This year we decided on Christmas nesting dolls and we got crafty with it.

 

I decided to try making a set of dolls based on the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer cartoon.  I made Hervey the elf, Rudolph,  Yukon Cornelius, Sam the Snowman and the Abominable Snowman.  I'm not a skilled or practiced painter so I sketched things out a bit before I picked up the paint brush which helped.  Overall this was a really fun project and I'm happy with how everything came out.

 

My friend made a more traditional matroyshka style set of nesting dolls with a Christmas spin and they are so cute!

 

Teresa is pretty amazing with a paint brush.  I don't think the photo captures how perfect the tiniest nesting doll is, but it's amazing.

 

As always I had a lot more crafting planned for the Christmas season.  I wanted to make more progress on the table runner I started last year, plus FINALLY complete the tablecloth I've been planning for years.  But despite the fact that COVID has made this a much quieter Christmas season without as many social obligations, work and trying to get gifts out to everyone in time for the holidays put me off my game a bit. 

 

In general, this year was a learning one for me.  I had what I thought was a great plan to pick out 3 or 4 WIPS to do each season so I could really move through my backlog of projects.  And initially I had some good momentum and thought I'd really cracked the code on working through my stash. That lasted about one season. 

 

The WIPs I chose for the Spring season took much longer than I'd thought they would and it threw off my plan for the rest of the year.  The needlepoint bag and the knitted shawl are both still in progress - although the shawl is much closer to completion then the bag .

 

While I didn't get all the projects done that I'd hoped this year, I did learn quite a bit about pacing myself, setting realistic expectations and accepting that sometimes life will throw the occasional twists and turns that might change my plans.

 

I'm hoping to use all of those lessons in the New Year with my NEW PLANS to work through some WIPs. (Yes I am undaunted by last year!) I'm still focused on using the materials and projects that I currently have rather than buying new items - just another resolution to add to my list for 2021!

 

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year that brings health and happiness to all!  See you next year!  (Sorry I can't help myself)

Summer So Far

I know that technically we are not even really in the middle of Summer but it feels like it's flying by pretty quick.  I've done a little traveling and also managed to work in some stitching here and there. Mainly by packing a few small projects so I can get some things done on the plane.

First big trip of the summer was to Washington to spend a long weekend with my girlfriends.  These are ladies I've known since elementary school and getting back together always feels like coming home.  We rented a house on the Sound and utilized the location well by taking long walks by the water and sipping wine while soaking up the sunsets.

It's both relaxing and rejuvenating to be around people who've known you your whole life.  Any professional or social barriers I put up in my current adult life fall away around these ladies.  I left feeling more like myself than I have in a while.

My other trip was back to Ohio.  We spent the 4th of July reconnecting with family which is always nice.  Plus Ohio in the Summer is beautiful.

Sparklers were lit, hot dogs were eaten, and flags were waved.  We had a great visit.

Next update is going to be progress on the frighteningly large number of items I have halfway, partway or any kind of way complete.  The plan is to buckle down, prioritize and actually get a few of these things finished this Summer.

Hoping everyone's Summer is fun and productive!  

 

Texas Girls Trip

I went to Amarillo Texas a little bit ago to visit a friend of mine who has recently moved there from California.  I have missed her and wanted to make a little something for her new home.  I have been inspired by the negative space embroidery I've seen around Pinterest and some other sites so I designed a pattern for my friend to use the negative space idea and celebrate her new home.

It was awesome to catch up with my friend and Amarillo was super fun!  We hit the Cadillac Ranch, The Big Texan (for giant steaks!), Palo Duro Canyon, some boot shopping at Cavenders, and did some more shopping in the very adorable Canyon, Texas.

It is a really pretty part of the country and there were so many great places to see - but the best part of the weekend was just having some time with my friend to catch up and spend time together.  

Grandma's Knitting Needles

I have so many great memories of my great grandma, my great aunt 'Rene, and my grandma, making things with their hands for me and my cousins.  Sweaters, afghans, quilts, scarves - things to keep us warm and cuddled.  Things that told us they loved us and we were special to them.  I still have many things that my great grandma and my great aunt 'Rene made.  They are beautiful in themselves and I value them more for bringing me back to moments I shared with those wonderful ladies.  

My grandma is still with us - she is still a source of great advice and inspiration.  A friend to bounce ideas around with.  She can't sew or knit anymore:  her eye sight has gotten too bad and her hands don't work like they used to.  Recently she moved and decided to get rid of a few things, including her stock of knitting and crochet needles.  She very kindly passed them on to me, as she knows my love of crafting, and they are now sitting in a place of honor in my craft room.

It makes me smile to see them every day and even more happy to make things with them.  It feels like I'm continuing some family traditions.  I definitely have that need to make things for my family and friends that keep them warm, cuddled and let them know that they are loved and special to me.

 

 

The West Is Best

I try to get out to see my family in Arizona a couple times a year and to see my "home girls" in California at least once a year.  I love getting back to the desert.  I've grown to love Virginia and all of the green we're surrounded by here, but there is something about the desert and the mountains that still just makes me so happy.

I can always tell I'm getting close to my parents house when these warning signs start popping up:

I've actually never seen one of these wild donkeys but I keep hoping.  

My Mom and I always do some walking in the early mornings.  She's out somewhat in the middle of nowhere and I love the openness of the area and the quiet.

It's always quality time when I visit my parents.  We did a lot of relaxing at home and Mom and I snuck in some time at the spa and some shopping (of course).  I spotted this at one of the spots around town and thought it was amazing:

The artist uses reclaimed wood from the river.  This represents a native american spirit of the water - it was lovely!

After time with my parents I headed to Cali for some time with my girlfriends.  These are ladies I've known since we were kids and being with them is comfortable like family.  No matter how many months or sometimes years have passed since we were together in person, it feels like it was just yesterday.

My friend Teresa, who I stayed with, has an AMAZING collection of vintage hand embroidered textiles and I went a little crazy taking pics of them.

Crazy, beautiful stuff right?  

She also has a couple of framed hand embroidered pictures of flowers made by yours truly that I gave her many years ago.  I have to say, it's makes me so happy to see that someone still uses something I made years later.

They've held up pretty well!

In addition to chatting, eating, chatting and eating some more, we took a little day trip up to Idylwild.  It's so pretty and it provides a little break from the heat.

There are a lot of cute shops.  An artisan jerky shop had this sign out front that made me laugh:

In the vein of cool wood carvings, I also came across this GIANT carving of the Buddha:

It was a pretty relaxing day all around.

Sadly after a few days of relaxing and catching up with these wonderful ladies, I was back on the road headed home.  The only up side was that I had a night in Vegas to chill out, eat some more great food and enjoy the pool.

Vacations are tough, what can I say?

I'm back on the east coast now, wich I do love, but I'm also counting down the days until my next trip out west.

Goodbye 2011

After our quiet Christmas we went out to visit my parents for some fun and some more relaxation.  Mom and Dad live out in the desert.  It's beautiful and serene, and we always have a nice time when we visit.

We played games, walked in the hills and just enjoyed family for a few days.  I brought along a travel project - a cute 2012 tea towel by Curious Doodles and got quite a bit done between the plane rides and time spent around the kitchen table chatting with Mom.

We got home just in time for New Year's Eve which we spent quietly.  We took advantage of the weirdly warm weather by grilling outside.  

After dinner we snuggled on the couch to talk about the past year and what we hope for the new year.

I will of course have resolutions or plans for 2012, but I've enjoyed just feeling the excitement of the start of a new year and all the hope and possibility that it promises.  Happy New Year to everyone!

A Quick Quilt

Last year some friends and I went to Oregon to visit our girlfriend Lianne.  We wanted to see her new home and life in Oregon and celebrate the fact that she and her husband were expecting their first child.

While we were there we had a small baby shower and did one of my favorite shower activities.  Everyone decorated a quilt square with a message to the baby and I collected them together to make a baby quilt.  I finally put everything together and mailed it out to the new mom and baby (Aaron) last week. 

Everyone did a great job on their squares.  I played around with the squares a little to find a nice mix before pinning them together. 

We used blue for the personalized messages as we knew in advance that Lianne was going to have a boy.

I found some yellow gingham to set off the blue squares and a really cute farm animal print for the back as Lianne grew up on a farm and I had a feeling Aaron would have a few farm themed baby things around. 

The quilt came together pretty quickly as it was small and I just did some "stitching in the ditch".  

The final product is cute and I hope for years to come it will bring sweet dreams to Aaron and remind him and his parents how much we love them.

Summer Vacation - Germany

The second leg of our vacation was all about Germany and kicking it with family.  My brother and his family were posted to Germany a few months ago and we'd been looking forward to visiting them there.  They're in the Bavaria region of Germany and were our tour guides to a bunch of cool towns in the area.

The first stop on our whirlwind tour was Amberg

It's a pretty town on the Vils River and it's been around since 1034.  

 
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This square had the cutest fountain:

Pigs.  Too cute!!

On the way back from Amberg we decided to do a quick drive through another town - Kallmünz.

Our quick drive through turned into a full-on exploration however when we saw Kallmünz Castle on the hill and decided to make the trek up the (steep, asthma-inducing, never-ending) stairs that had been cut into the mountain to see it up close:

The Castle itself was beautiful but so was the view from the top of the mountain.

 

Our next outing was to Regensburg.  It's a larger town and had many beautiful churches, Roman ruins and more pretty parks and squares than I could count.

The Stone Bridge was built in 1135 and crosses the Danube.  It was a pretty spot to stop and relax a bit.

The Dom cathedral can be seen from all over Regensburg.  It was built between 1275 - 1634 but has one chapel inside that dates back to the 8th century.  The interior was beautiful:

There was also a lower level where several bishops were buried and that had really early ruins - I'm not sure what period they were from, but they had a Celtic look: 

 

Across from The Dom is a tiny chapel that is dedicated to St. Mary.  It only has about 4 pews:

Also near The Dom was the Cathedral "Zu unserer lieben Frau".  The inside is rococo style and blew me away:

We did a big road trip to Berchtesgaden, Germany to see the Bavarian Alps and tour the Eagles Nest and the Salt Mines.  This area was breath taking - we could have spent a week there hiking and fishing.  But as we were on a tight schedule, we hit the tourist highlights.

The Eagles Nest was interesting.  The location has amazing views of the Alps.  The only downside is that there is not much info about the history of the home and it use by Hitler as it's been completely renovated into a restaurant.

Pretty great background for a pic with My Sister-in-Law and nephews.

The Salt Mines tour on the other hand was very informative and FUN!

They suit you up in miner's coveralls and send you down through the salt mines by train, slide and boat:

 

The area near the salt mine is lovely with an aquamarine river running next to it that I think is a result of salt runoff, but for whatever reason the color is startling.

They sent us on our way with a free sample of salt which I thought was very kind!  They had lots of salt based spa treatments as well as specialty cooking salts for sale in the gift shop but at that point we were nearing packing capacity on the suitcases for gifts.

On our way back to the States we spent half a day in Munich before our flight.  It's a pretty city although I don't think we were really able to appreciate it in such a short amount of time.  

This is the Hofbräuhaus in Germany.  We were there around 3 pm and they were having a "Tea Dance" - which did not appear to involve tea but rather a lot of beer.  I'm assuming "tea" just refers to the time of day.  

Odeonsplatz.

We might have to give Munich more of a chance on the next trip.  Bavaria is a beautiful region and we clearly only saw a small portion, but the whole trip was made that much more fun because of the time we got to spend with family.

Seasons Greetings

Due to crazy work hours this holiday season is kind of getting away from me.  I DID have a great Thanksgiving with my folks and my brother and his family in Arizona.  It reminded me of growing up in California where the holidays involve putting lights on palm trees and having the doors and windows wide open on Thanksgiving day because it is just too hot in the house otherwise.

 I've really come to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas on the east coast, the snow and cold mark the change in season and make if feel special.  But there is still a lot to be said for being able to wear shorts in December!

Despite being distracted by work, the weather here is getting me in the mood for Christmas.  I did a little decorating, had some friends from my book club over for a Christmas cocktail party, and am now wrapping up gift buying and stocking up on egg nog for the big day.

So despite lots of work I have found time for some Christmas play.  My one regret is I have not had time this year for any Christmas crafting.  I did buy Alicia Paulson's felt ornament patterns and I plan to make a few of these over Christmas weekend, when I finally have some time off.  I figure I won't be late for this year, but rather a year EARLY in preparing for next Christmas.

Sadly, I'm off to the office now - Merry Christmas all!