Monday, February 5, 2018

The great thing about blogging!

I felt that this past week I hadn't really done very much stitching/crafting. There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the week to do everything that you want to do (stitching and crafting) and what you feel has to be done (cooking and other pesky household chores) and what you should do (get to the gym and workout!) And here's where the beauty of blogging comes in......after taking pictures of my projects this week, I realize that I have, in fact, done quite a bit....ok, maybe not so much on the going to the gym part of it, but as the song says...two out of three ain't bad!

So, the starteritis from last week lingered over for a bit :)  I'm still not 100% cured.....



I bought this Janlyn cushion kit before Christmas (does that make it a bit better?) in the hopes of having it made in time to be a Christmas gift for my daughter and her fiance.......didn't happen! But it will make a lovely housewarming gift for them....I just have to add their names to the bottom. This was a fun kit if you fancy trying your hand at embroidery......


....the design is printed onto the fabric and you basically fill in the spaces .....


....my only 'complaint'  is that the black lines for the leaves aren't completely covered by the stitches.....this is just my OCD kicking in!


It was fun and definitely something I'd try again.....I did like the fact that you didn't have to concentrate too much as there's no counting involved.....makes it a great project for doing while watching the TV!

I also did some more rounds on my crochet blanket....


...these are taking longer and longer to do as you start in the middle and work out. The first few rounds seem to be really quick and now it's taking much longer....and will only get worse the bigger the blanket becomes!

And I can now show you what I teased you with last week....my sewing machine project.....yes, I'm still actually on speaking terms with my machine....we didn't fall out!!!!


This project was aimed at  making something useful and also using up some of the fabric stash that I have acquired .....


 .... a soup bowl cozy! 

You can find the instructions and pattern here. Now the site has it listed under their Fast Fridays section.....now I have to be honest here and do the full disclosure thing...it wasn't fast for me. Perhaps it's because  I made it on a Sunday.....maybe Sundays are named Slow Sundays...... I'm sure it's all about the name and  has absolutely nothing to do with my lack of sewing skills!  So, is it perfect....absolutely not! Do I love it....absolutely yes!


So not only can you use it for keeping your hands from burning on your soup bowl, but you can use it for storing your stitchy paraphernalia  .....


 ....and did you notice  that it's also reversible as well as super cute? Time to start busting out the fabric stash to make some more!!! 


Yeah, definitely seeing a black and white theme going on here. Wouldn't they make a great gift....just make one of these then add a bowl and a fancy soup mix....perfect as a get-well gift or even a (dare I say it this early in the year?) Christmas gift.

And as for cross stitching.....I did that too! Not much, but those bluebirds haven't been entirely  neglected...



So a big thank you to blogger for making me realize that I have indeed been a busy little bee last week! Let's hope this week is as productive.

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona



8 comments:

Irene said...

Rhona che bello il cuscino con ricamo tradizionale, tua figlia sarĂ  contenta, e sei brava anche a cucire

butterfly said...

You have been a busy bee.
A pat on the back and well done. Lots of crafts going on here.
And oh I love those blue birds

Justine said...

A busy bee indeed! I love the idea of a cosy for soup bowls though if I ever made anything like that on my sewing machine, it wouldn't be going anywhere near soup! Black and white is such a classic combination.
Love those sweet bluebirds too.

Katie said...

I've had the same thing happen to me. Blog updates to the rescue with proof of work done. Love your blue birds. They are coming along even though it might feel slow. Love your bowl cozy. I've seen a lot of people making them. It's a great idea. Your cushion is beautiful too.

Caitlin @ Naughts Cross Stitches said...

I've always found that when taking pictures it always shows more than you thought. Great projects.

Mini said...

The embroidery project is lovely. Dont worry about the black lines around the flowers, think of them as backstitch/outline.
Wow I have never heard of a soup cozy..I like its use for keeping the stitching tid bits.
Good progress on the birds.

RJ said...

Rhona you have been so busy and what great projects you are completing. I love everything but I'm totally in love with those soup bowl cozies. I have to go look up the directions on making them. Your choice of fabrics is fantastic. I'm a big fan of black and white too.

Your gift for your daughter is wonderful. She will love it. And the bluebirds are looking so pretty. Great work my friend. RJ@stitchingfriendsforever

Mary said...

Rhona, Love your French themed B&W fabrics for you soup cozy, what a great idea to use it for holding your needlworking supplies. Yes, they will make wonderful gifts for stitchers! You had a productive week and glad you make friends with your sewing machine! Mary