March Update

My goodness, I can't believe it's time to do a Stitch from Stash update already!
Since my gung-ho St. Patrick's Day stitching I have laid my tapestry needles down and not returned!
I did not start any new charts this month, despite having every good intention to.  I did dust off Quaker Turtles but I think I am going to have to start from scratch on that one.

I did spend some of the $25 budget this month:  I bought an issue of Cross Stitcher because I just have to stitch this pillow or a portion of it!
(photo is taken from the March issue)

So my grand total for the month is $14, however I do have carry over from January and February when I didn't spend any money.

I have been working a bit on my stool cover:

I'm loving the bright colours because the weather is still the pits.  Unfortunately I have to rip out the last 6 rows because it's "wibbly" and I want it to lay flat. Fingers crossed I get it right next time.  Someone is waiting for me to get it finished, because it offers a better vantage point to bark at people across the street.

I stitched the little bird at the top using a pattern in the February issue of 'Bustle and Sew' magazine.  I used a thrifted cashmere sweater and it's so downy soft.  So, to the person who washed their Lord and Taylor, 100% cashmere sweater and put it in the dryer and shrunk it to baby size - one person's junk really is another person's treasure!

Have a wonderful week and thanks for visiting!

Jenn

Retro Crafting

Last year I bought a bundle of 'The Workbasket' magazines on Ebay. Mine are from 1951-52.  I believe the first one was published in 1935, and the last one in 1996.  Wouldn't it be fun to have one of the earliest issues?!  I haven't used them for crafting so much as light bedtime reading.  It's fun to see what was in vogue in the craft world, and the suggestions for Craft Circles.  Gosh, I wish I were part of a Craft Circle!

I love the cross stitched title!

The advertisements are really fun to read as well.  A lot of them are offers for kits you could make up and sell for 'pin money'.  Everything seems so cheap!  This magazine originally cost fifteen cents, and there are offers in it to buy twelve lilac plants for one dollar! I would love to know the average annual salary back then, just to get some perspective.

It occurred to me the other day there might be something to make for my St. Patrick's Day collection of smalls.  I found this cute little pincushion and was able to stitch it up in an evening.

It reminds me of a Girl Guide badge almost, just with different colours.  For now it sits by my chair, holding my loose pins and needles.

Thanks for visiting!

March

I think I should have a busy week all the time:  I seem to get a lot accomplished!  Last week was really full for me, and I didn't think I would get anything fun done.  Turns out I made the most of my spare moments and stitched three smalls!  Now I have a nice little collection of St. Patrick's Day themed stitching for my mantle.

All of the stitched designs are freebies.  These first two are from Lynn B. at Happiness is Cross Stitching.  I'm not what you would call a 'cat person', but when I saw her little black kitty with the green bowler hat I had to stitch him.

This next one is from Paulette Stewart of  Plum Street Samplers.

Patti C. posted a picture of a pincushion she made on her blog last week or so.  Once I saw it I was gung-ho to make my own.  I went to Goodwill the same day to buy candleholders and stitched this up right away.

There is a free video tutorial on how to make these at The DIY Dish.com.  I thought it would make a nice necklace holder too.  How perfect that my new necklace just happens to match?

Thank you for your comments on my last post.  In my haste to get things sorted on my blog (it being Lent  I have to severely limit my time here) I hit the 'delete' box instead of the 'publish' so I lost all of your comments!  I really appreciate that you took the time to say something nice.  Next time I will be more careful!

Enjoy your week:)

Jenn

Quiet

My Favourite Girl is away on a Girl Guide camping trip this weekend.  I'm sure she's having the best time ever in the snow, and sleeping on the bunk beds in the lodge.  I hope she's warm enough.

It feels like we operate on a lower wattage when she's away.  Everyone has commented on it - just how different it feels around here without her.  It's amazing how much energy just one person can bring/take away to a home.

We've had a quiet weekend here.  Mr Crafty World has to work all weekend, so it's just been My Favourite Boy and I for the most part.  Yesterday we went to the craft store together to look at building models.  It was decided that they are not something he wants to do, so we headed off the Chapters to buy a Lego set.  I was all set to buy a Mollie Makes magazine but I changed my mind.  There was a quilt pattern in there I really liked, but truthfully it wasn't worth paying twelve dollars for.

I took MFB and a friend to the pool and watched them/read old magazines/cross stitched for two hours. We went to the grocery store afterwards and bought a ton of candy!

I started a new crochet project with my new wool.  I love the colours, I just wish I had one or two more for variety.

 This morning I am saving all my pictures from the last 7 years onto an external hard drive.  I get spooked when I hear of people saying they always meant to back up their files before a computer crash but didn't.  It has been a lot of fun going through the photos and seeing how much our kids have changed. Their sweet little faces from the past are such a treat to see:  you really do forget what they looked like.  Sometimes I think Heaven must be where we get to go back and hold our babies again.

Speaking of babies, I finished my scrappy baby quilt on Friday.  This was the quilt I practised using my walking foot on, so it really isn't so great.  It looks a heck of a lot better after I washed it though, so perhaps it won't be defined as dog bedding after all!

I learned that I cannot make a perfect square with fabric.  A postage stamp quilt or any other quilt where I have to be meticulous in lining up my edges is not something I will ever master, or even want to try mastering.  Maybe I should try hand piecing a quilt some time and then my wonky seams will make sense.

I used one of my favourite vintage sheets for the backing on this.  I hope I have enough to make myself some pillow cases.  I did a scrappy binding (stitched on by hand!) which I like here, but I'm not so sure I would like to use it on a big quilt.  I found the differences in fabric weaves to be a bit hard to work with.

Soon I'll be off to pick up My Favourite Girl.  It's a good hour and a half drive each way so I need to make sure I have good music in the car!  I have a busy week coming up so I don't think I will get much crafty stuff done.  But hey - it's March already and there are only four more days of school left before pyjama March break starts!

Have a wonderful day!

Jenn