Outside, but not looking in

As promised, here are the photos of the outside of the snippet roll needle case.  You can click  to embiggen them if you'd like.

and this photo gives a better idea of the length....

Now it remains to be seen if anyone likes it enough to 

want to learn how to make one for themselves!

Today, instead of a quote.....

A little more CQ

I finished working on my crazy quilt project - a snippet needle roll.  I've been asked to teach a workshop at our local quilt guild and needed to come up with a prototype so people can see what they will be working on.  I did a snippet roll needle case several years ago (and you can see pictures of it HERE  HERE  HERE and HERE).  This time I will show you a picture of the outside, rolled up, as well as the inside and next time I'll show you the outside.

Pictures are clickable to embiggen

You have to imagine the final three photos joined

together.  The final roll measures about 35" long by

5" wide.  The inside features felt to hold your

needles (that's the areas that are bordered with

blanket stitch).  

Today's quote...."Every day is a new beginning.  Take a deep breath and start again"

Surprise!!!

It's been absolutely forever since I've given you any sort of tutorial so I think it's time, don't you?  Last week we had our monthly little CQTeers crafting group meeting and it was my turn to play hostess.  One of the duties of being hostess is to come up with some sort of 'program' which can involve learning a new technique or making something.  One of our members had mentioned perhaps making a needlebook so this is the idea I came up with...

My photography skills obviously are in need of a tutorial, but you can get the idea I'm sure!  Many of you could simply make your own pattern using the photo as inspiration, but here's the pattern anyway...

You will need to print the pattern to the size you require (mine ended up measuring approx. 8" x 3 1/2", but size is up to you).  

SUPPLIES:  pattern; three pieces of light-colored felt in the size of your pattern;  freezer paper (optional); assorted embroidery floss in colors of your choice; and a piece of HeatnBond (also optional).

HOW TO:   Trace the design onto freezer paper and iron onto felt (this step is optional, and you can use tissue paper instead).   In order to transfer the windows, etc. pattern onto the felt it's helpful to use a needle to make a tiny hole at the outer corners and then use either a fine tip marker or pencil to mark through the holes.  Then when you remove the freezer/tissue paper you can easily see the marks.  Embroider as desired.  If using HeatnBond, iron onto the back of the outside piece and then onto another piece of felt so that the back of your stitching is covered.  Trim inner felt to match the pattern and embroider around the outside using a buttonhole stitch in a thread that matches the color of the felt closely.  Cut another piece of felt into a rectangle that will fit inside the needle book for the 'pages' and stitch across the dotted line as shown in the pattern to hold in place.  At this point I fold the needle book the way I want it and run another line of stitching across the roof top to hold in place.  There you go - a needle book, courtesy of MA and the CQTeers!

Today the quote is from Mark Twain..."Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see"

A little project

Don't forget to check back here for my responses to your

comments - at least for now (until Blog-grrr gets itself

sorted out!). 

I'm back!  DH's medical tests are done for now and we can actually spend some time at home, which means I can return to stitching and blogging!  

Today I have a little project I can show you that I recently completed.  My friend Pam Kellogg sent me the piece of fabric I used for the front cover of this needle book and rather than storing it away in my stash I thought I'd use it right away.  This is the original piece of fabric...

and this is what I came up with....

I removed the gold trim around the edges and then used some of it on the

spine of the needle book.

Another thing that will be added to the gift box!

Another of the anonymous quotes for you..."A strong person is not the one who doesn't cry.  A strong person is the one who cries and sheds tears for a moment, then gets up and fights again"

This is what procrastination does

Not that I could ever, by any stretch of the imagination, be accused of suffering from procrastination....ahem.  At least I finished a project over the weekend.  

I have been muttering for a long time about the holder I was using for my circular knitting needles and decided that it was time to create a new one that wouldn't require me to stuff so many into a small space.  This is what I came up with.  It's three times as wide as my former one.  I decided I would use the basic pattern but multiply it by three times as wide.  It took some finagling but I'm happy with what I came up with.

Here's the inside....

There are several 'pages', each rubber stamped with the needle size.  I ran into some difficulty with the stamping process and ended up with some 'ghosting' of the ink in places.  What to do?  Well, a dig into my stash unearthed a small flower stencil that, with some judicious placement, I used to cover most of it.  The rest I simply added some faux stitching lines to and called it a day.  

As for the procrastination...

I guess this means I need to now

get back to working on a barn!

This black 'blob' is a photo of our very full moon taken over the weekend.

Another quote from an anonymous source..."Two of the hardest tests in life:  The patience to wait for the right moment, and the courage to accept that you've waited for nothing"

A tutorial - who knew?

It's been a very long time since I did any sort of tutorial on my blog and as I created this little project this morning I thought perhaps I might share it with you.  It worked up very quickly so it's certainly do-able for some little Christmas presents (which is what this one is for).

Isn't this little strawberry needle case the cutest?

So, here's the tutorial (please let me know if you make any, because I'd love to see them!).

CHEZ MAGPIE's STRAWBERRY PINCUSHION

You will need the following supplies:  red and green felt; a piece of Freezer Paper (optional); yellow and red pearl cotton or embroidery floss; 1 green bead; scrap of Heat N Bond (optional).

NOTE: Print the pattern on a full-size 8 1/2 x 11" piece of paper.

Trace the patterns onto either paper or Freezer Paper.  You can either iron the Freezer Paper onto the felt prior to cutting out the pieces OR simply pin your paper pattern onto the felt.  I like to use the Freezer Paper because it holds in place really well, making your cuts on the felt more accurate.  It peels off really easily and can be re-used a couple of times if you're making more than one needlebook.

Cut two of the larger strawberry shapes, one of the smaller shape and one of the leaf from felt.  Using yellow pearl cotton (or 6 strands of embr. floss) stitch 'seeds' randomly over one of the larger strawberry shapes.  

Either pin the two larger shapes together OR use some small scraps of HeatNBond to adhere them together.  Using red pearl cotton (or floss) stitch the pieces together around the outside using buttonhole stitch.  

Place outer and inner strawberry shapes together and, using the sewing machine, stitch along the fold line.  Stitch two or three tacking stitches about 1/4" away from the seam (helps to hold the needlebook nicely closed).

Adhere the leaf to the front, using a green bead to hold in place.

Today the quote is from Dale Carnegie.... "When we hate our enemies, we are giving them power over us:  power over our sleep, our appetites, our blood pressure, our health, and our happiness.  Our enemies would dance with joy if only they knew how they were worrying us, lacerating us, and getting even with us.  Our hate is not hurting them at all, but our hate is turning our days and nights into a hellish turmoil"

Two more!

A pincushion and a needlebook.

The pincushion will fit perfectly in the 'spine' area of my hussif (which explains why it's long and skinny!).  I edged the needlebook with a row of buttonhole stitches and then crocheted a filet trim using the buttonholed stitches as a base.  

I also mucked about with my new photo

program.

ooooh - special effects -

who knew??

Today the quote is from W. J. Boetcker.... "If you want to know how rich you really are, find out what would be left of you tomorrow if you should lose every dollar you own tonight"

New computers and roses (I hope!)

Well, the grand computer change-over of 2015 took place over the weekend and I'm now up and running on my new one...complete with a great deal of trepidation!  Windows 8.1 is a whole new learning curve!  So far I've managed not too badly (despite the great 'Skype Debacle Of Last Night' that we won't talk about, other than to say all's well that ends well - I think).  Today I put my brave face on and am attempting to load a picture onto my blog.

Here goes!!

Well, I'll be darned!!

It worked!!!

Sometimes I amaze myself.

Oh - and the photo above?  It's a pin keep that I made to include in my hussif.

Today the quote I'm giving you is from Susan Jeffers (and 'fits' what happened during the afore-mentioned 'Skype Debacle')...."Feel the fear, and do it anyway"

Hussif progress - and a wee project

Over the weekend I found some stitching time and added a few 'bits' to my rose-themed hussif...

All of these treatments were done using waste canvas and regular embroidery floss.  I added some blending filament from Kreinik to the petals on the top rose to give it some sparkle (hard to tell in this photo).

I loved that rose so much that I decided to make a little needlebook on black using the same pattern.  This one also has Kreinik blending filament.  It's for a wee giftie, so hopefully the recipient will like it!











Today is a quote from Susan B. Anthony.... "Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved.  The real milestones are less prepossessing.  They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit, and simply never leave.  Our lives are measured by these"

Fifteen more!!

Yes, you read that right - there are fifteen more.....

 

You think maybe I might be a 

teeeeeeny bit

obsessed???

If you scroll down a couple of entries you will see one of the needlecases opened up.  The needlecases, when opened, measure approximately 10 x 8 inches.

EDITED TO ADD;  Original pattern comes from HERE.

More denim reduction!

Today I began working on these  needleholders which will ultimately be little surprises for some friends.

This is the outside - made from recycled denim,
of course!!

And here's the inside...

The centre is felt.

EDITED TO ADD:  The original pattern for this comes from
HERE.