Stash Reduction....maybe??

In the interest of reducing my stash of denim (which is overflowing the assigned storage area) I decided I simply HAD to make one of these...

Jack decided he really liked it (husbands don't, as a rule, wax poetic about things we make) so...it will become a throw for the back of our couch.  Then he announced that it would be really nice if I were to make two smaller ones to go over the back of our chairs too.  Hmmm.  Well, this morning I cut out more denim and have one sewn up already.

However, can anybody tell me

WHY

the stash bucket is STILL

overflowing??

What's with THAT???

Pattern for the quilt is from HERE.  It's an adaptation of Kaffe Fasset's Jewel Squares from the book 'Glorious Patchwork'. 

Ornament for 2012

Each year I make a special ornament for Christmas giving - generally in editions of about 24.  Some are little gifties themselves and others are used as 'tags' on larger gifts. 

Here's what I made this year...

Yes, you're not seeing things - that IS a paper clip!!

Instructions came from HERE.

TUSAL sign up!

Most of you will remember my monthly TUSAL (Totally Useless Stitch A Long) posts over the past year.  It was such a fun project and I enjoyed seeing my ORT (Old Recycled Threads) jar fill up as the year progressed.  Well, DaffyCat has decided to run it again in 2013 and I've signed on once again. 

Merry Christmas to all!

From our family,

to yours,

we wish you the

very merriest of

Christmases.

   

Christmas Beauty!

I have to show you the beautiful arrangement of flowers that just arrived at our door!  Aren't they lovely?  It's a great mystery as to who sent them though!  The card was simply signed 'the gang'. Ummm.   We don't know a 'gang'....or do we?  Never mind, they are exquisite and we will enjoy every moment of having them.  Thank you to 'the gang', whoever and wherever you may be!!

- - - - -  

Oh yes, and Cosmo wanted to say a Christmas hello

to all his online kitty friends too!

Late for TUSAL!

I know I'm late posting my final TUSAL (Totally Useless Stitch A Long) pictures for this year, but I hope I can be forgiven in the light that I have not been moving too far from my comfie chair the past few days.  There is hope that I might live, so here's my post....

I guess I did manage to get some stitching done in the past month

if this pile of ORTS is an indication!

Below is my overflowing ORT container...

Thanks so much to DaffyCat for a fun
year-long project!

Hack.....splutter.....blow......

....yep, a miserable cold has caught up with me and I'm doing nothing but dose myself with Buckley's and seriously consider buying stocks in the facial tissue business. 

Good thing I have a comfie chair, a doting husband, and lots of no-brainer Christmas movies on TV!

broken.....

Normally I save putting up an image of my creche until closer to Christmas.  I know I post it every year and perhaps my long-time readers are rather tired of seeing it.  The news from Connecticut today is beyond comprehension and is so very heart-breaking.  All I can do is pray for those families and publish an image of what I believe in and know that God is with them.

Sorrow has no words.

Another Christmas gift finish....

This one was really a cinch to make and gives

a nice little organizer for on a desk or

in a sewing room.

It came from this pattern...

I've had it in my to-do pile for a couple of years so

I'm not sure that the pattern is still available.

Christmas beauty....and a....pod??

Look what was delivered to our door today!  Our nephew was doing a fund-raiser for a school trip and asked us to sponsor him.  I don't know as I've ever come across a fundraiser that sold Christmas plants, so I was happy to help him out....

And, here's another of my bits of knitting I've been

doing for Christmas gifts...

It's a felted pod.  

A pod, you say?

Yes, a pod.

What's if for, you say?

Well, I dunno...

it's for the recipient to decide!

It measures about 5 inches high.

If you are interested in making your own, let me know and I would be happy to put a tutorial on here.  But then again....maybe you're not.  Interested, that is.  

Doesn't everybody need a pod??

Hussif #1 finish!

I just finished working on the first hussif
(the one that I will teach at our local

quilt guild in February).

Here's the debut photos!

Above shows the hussif folded.

Below is the outside, unfolded...

Below shows the inside, with all the 

pockets closed. 
There are sections to hold scissors,

a thimble, pencils or pens, and there's a pincushion

built in as well.
There's an additional opening behind most of the pockets

for even more storage of sewing treasures.

The final photo shows some of the pockets opened...

There's prototype #1, 

and now it's on to # 2!!

A wee little treasure

The other day something wonderful arrived in my mail box and to say I was thrilled is an understatement.  Most of you know that I collect books about embroidery so this was a most welcome addition to my treasures (thank you Lyn!!). 

Just have a look at the cover...

I can't find a year of publication on it but I would surmise it would be the early 1900's.  There are 48 pages of delightful illustrations and instructions for various types of embroidery.  Here are a couple of the illustrations from inside... (clickable to embiggen)

Such a sweet little book and a definite gem to own