Hooked on Needles


Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Candle Mat Received!

The candle mat swap that I participated in recently was lots of fun. I enjoyed making my two mats, one for me and one that I sent away to my swap partner.

The mat that I received arrived before Thanksgiving, so it's about time I showed it off for all to see! Here it is...


Candle Mat Received!Bette made this for me using a scrappy combination of fabrics.


Candle Mat Received!I love how she fussy cut the corner squares with something different in each one.


Candle Mat Received!That inside border stripe fabric with the holly and berries is the same fabric I used many years ago to make a tree skirt for my sister!


Candle Mat Received!This is the back of the mat where Bette used this classy black background fabric with holly and white swirls, and she did the quilting in a simple meander.


Candle Mat Received!Bette included two pieces of hand dyed fabric as a special treat. Thanks Bette!

Happy Stitching!

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Monday, November 29, 2010

My New Evening Handiwork Set-up

Are you satisfied with the set-up of your favorite spot where you like to settle in and spend some good quality time working on a handwork project? I wasn't for the longest time, mainly because I kept having to pick up my pattern, find my place, put it down again, pick up my hook and yarn, then continue working. Plus the only place to put anything, like my scissors and glasses and needle and pattern, was the little lamp table next to my chair. After an evening of handwork in my cozy chair, I would have such a crick in my neck from always having to look to the side, and I'd be so frustrated from continually having to pick things up off the floor after I pushed them off the little table. It just wasn't working for me but I didn't quite know how to fix it.

Then one day I had a revelation...it just hit me. I knew exactly what I needed. I went to my local Staples office supply store and did a little shopping. I know I should have put it on my Christmas list, but honestly, I just couldn't wait another day. I had to rectify this situation, and fast!

Here's what I got...


Lap desk for needleworkI took these pictures myself while I was sitting in my cozy chair with a cozy afghan over me so you could get the full effect. I purchased a nice wooden lap desk that is generously sized, with a bean-bag like cushion on the underside to mold perfectly to my lap each time I use it. It also has a cut out handle for easy moving. It is thin enough to slide right next to my chair when not in use so it is out of sight between my chair and the little lamp table unless I'm actually using it.


Lap desk for needleworkThe next thing I bought was a typing stand made of metal mesh. It's really cool and modern looking, weighs practically nothing and has a nice size ledge sort of thing at the bottom where the papers sit which I use to hold my hooks and scissors and my darning needle when I'm not actually working with them. It also came with two strong magnets which hold at least six sheets of paper, maybe more. That's the most I've had on it so far!

So I prop my pattern on the typing stand, put the typing stand on the lap desk, and the lap desk on my lap, and I am in great shape for a productive and comfortable evening of whatever kind of stitching I feel like doing. My pattern is right there in front of me, I have a firm flat surface to lay out my work for measuring or just admiring, and I still have room on my little lamp table for my cup of tea without fear of knocking it off!

When it's time to put everything away, my scissors, hooks, needles, little sticky note pad and any other assorted tools all go into the rubber bottom pencil cup that I also purchased at Staples. That sits on the lamp table, along with the typing stand. The lap desk slides between the chair and the table out of sight. The afghan gets folded and put in the cozy afghan pile. And I go to bed happy. I'm really loving this new set-up!

The project I am working on in these pictures is the Bernat Mystery Afghan Crochet-along, which is no longer a mystery since the last clue of the border was already revealed. I'm making good progress in sewing all the blocks together, so as soon as I have it finished, you'll be the first to see it! I'm also working on some Christmas sewing which I'll share soon too. What are you working on these days?

Happy Stitching!

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Sunday, November 28, 2010

Layer Cake Quilt-Along Block Two

Don't you love to try new techniques in your favorite craft every now and then? I'm referring to something like trying a new crochet stitch by working up a dish cloth, or knitting a scarf with a new kind of yarn and a fun pattern you've never tried before. That is how I'm feeling about this Layer Cake Quilt-Along that I jumped into recently. It's a great opportunity for me to try making new and different quilt blocks, the kind that I would most likely never try on my own.

Here's my second block in this series...

Layer Cake Quilt-Along Block TwoThis block was designed by Vickie Eapen and you can find the instructions through this post over on Moose on the Porch Quilts. You can also read a little bit about Vickie and her blog called Spun Sugar Quilts. That is where I got the pattern for the giant pin cushions I made a few months ago. She does some really neat stuff with fabric!

I really love how this block turned out with the two different colors in the same fabrics. I am using fat quarters from my stash instead of a layer cake of all one line of fabrics, but I was able to pull out four different colorways of the same fabrics to use. You can see some of the other fabrics I picked out by hopping over HERE where I showed my first block for this quilt-along.

The next block should be posted this week sometime and I'm excited to see what new adventure it will bring.

Happy Stitching!

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Friday, November 26, 2010

Giveaway winner

We had a wonderful gathering of friends and family here at our house yesterday, with lots of good food, fun and laughter. After everyone was gone and everything was cleaned up, I closed my giveaway and the drawing has now been done.

Here's how it went...


Giveaway winner...all the entries were checked to make sure they could be contacted in case they won. Then each name was written on the back of a Snoopy calendar page and put into Grace's Food Basket.


Giveaway winnerThen Grace reached in and picked out one little paper.


Giveaway winnerSharon is the winner of a printed copy of my Advent Calendar Christmas Tree pattern! I've already contacted her and will be sending her pattern as soon as I get her mailing address. Congratulations to Sharon! And thanks to all who participated in my giveaway!


Advent Calendar Christmas Tree

If you didn't win, but would like your own copy of this fun and festive pattern, you can buy it HERE in my Etsy shop for a nominal fee, and you'll receive it in your email inbox in short order. You could be sewing it up today and hanging it on your wall for December 1st!

Happy Stitching!

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving Turkeys

We've been busy cleaning and preparing the house and kitchen for our Thanksgiving guests tomorrow. There will be 19 of us all together at one table and it will be a wonderful gathering of friends and family. To celebrate the occasion in crafty colorful fashion, my two youngest children helped me make this cute little flock of turkeys...


Happy Thanksgiving TurkeysIt sort of looks like they are having a meeting, don't you think? I wonder what they might be discussing!


Happy Thanksgiving TurkeysThis project was being demonstrated at my local Michael's store a few weeks ago and my little Gracie thought it was so cute that we just HAD to make some! I had some great coupons, so I bought the supplies and we had a little crafting time together. It was fun!

We will fill the pots with wrapped candy and put them on the table tomorrow. Each family will then be able to take one home with them at the end of the evening. We have enough to bring one to my sister when we visit her on Sunday, and one to our neighbor, and we already brought one to our friend who is in the nursing home up the street. She enjoyed the candy and the turkey, but of course it was the visit from me and Grace that really brightened up her day.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving day tomorrow. Whether you are hosting a houseful of friends and family, being a guest at someone else's home, or just enjoying a quiet day, I hope it is full of all the little things we can all be thankful for each day.

Happy Stitching!

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Monday, November 22, 2010

Bernat Mystery Afghan Crochet-Along ~ All Blocks Complete!

It's not all the way finished yet, but all the blocks for the Bernat Mystery Afghan Crochet-along are complete and the clue for how to lay them out was posted last week. Here's what it looks like on my family room floor...



Bernat Mystery Afghan Crochet-Along ~ All Blocks
What do you think about that? I think it's interesting. My husband even commented on it by saying that it didn't look like anything I would have come up with, but he still liked it.

As you can see, there's a whole lot of stuff to do before school starts this fall...oops, sorry! I kind of slipped into a little theme song moment there! What I meant to say was that there are a lot of ends to weave in before I can move on to the next step which will be either to block my squares or start sewing them together. I usually do not block my crochet, but with all these squares being so different, they did not turn out to be exactly the same size. So it might be a good idea to block them to the same size before sewing them together. But then again, maybe if I just sew them all together, and then throw the whole thing in to the wash and lay it out to dry, it might accomplish the same thing with less time and effort.

Hmmmm...quite the dilemma I have here. What do you suggest?

Happy Stitching!

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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Christmas Tote Bag

This quilted Christmas Tote Bag is the gift I made for Sandy in Georgia for the Winter Tote Bag swap hosted by Paula over at Coffee Time Stitches.


Christmas Tote BagIt's the same original design I used to make the bag that is for sale in my Etsy shop right now, and also the same fabric line called Holiday Magic by Studio E.


Christmas Tote BagThis is the inside lining of the bag. Don't you love it? I think it's so cheerful and happy!

I hope Sandy enjoys using it to carry her Christmas gifts to all her holiday gatherings this year and for many years to come!

If you want to get into the holiday spirit, check out my Christmas is Coming Giveaway. You only have until my Thanksgiving company leaves Thursday night to sign up!

Happy Stitching!

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Saturday, November 20, 2010

Christmas is Coming ~ Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered! The winner is Sharon Lozano. Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!


Did you know that Christmas this year will be exactly one month from Thanksgiving Day? Yes indeedy, Christmas is coming! I'm going to make this quick because we're having a busy weekend here and a very busy week coming up, hosting about 20 people for Thanksgiving dinner and all the preparations that come along with such a fun celebration.

So if you would like to win a printed copy of one of my own original patterns to help you prepare for Christmas, keep reading...


This is my own original design of a Christmas Tree Advent Calendar. The pattern is available over in my Etsy shop so you can make one to help your family count down the days until Christmas, or make several to give as gifts.

Just leave a comment on this post before Thursday evening, November 25. Please share with everyone what your plans are for Thanksgiving this year and what you are most thankful for. I'll do the drawing after our company leaves that evening and announce the winner the next day while most of you are out shopping all those great sales! The winner will receive one printed copy of my pattern, complete with pictures and templates for the embroidery.

Please make sure I can contact you by email or your entry will not be included in the drawing. That's it! Quick and easy!

Now time for some much needed beauty rest!

Happy Stitching!

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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Don't You Just Love Snowmen?

I sure do, and Rhonda stitched two of the cutest little fat round snowmen onto the tote bag that she made for me! I received my Christmas Tote Bag Swap package from her in the mail and couldn't wait to open it! Here's what she sent me...


Christmas Tote Bag Swap PackageA darling snowman tote bag with beautiful stitchery on both sides, a quilt pattern, a fat quarter of fabric, some steak seasoning and tea, a guide to sewing and a guide to grilling. What a variety!


Christmas Tote Bag Swap PackageHere's a close-up of one of the snowmen. I love snowmen with ear muffs on. There just seems to be something comical about that. I mean, they're snowmen you know. They are supposed to be cold!


Christmas Tote Bag Swap PackageAnd here's the other stitched snowman with a pretty little birdie perched on his stick arm. His carrot nose and crumpled hat and cozy scarf make him look so friendly.


Christmas Tote Bag Swap PackageDon't you love the fabric Rhonda used? It looks like a snowy day!


Christmas Tote Bag Swap PackageThis darling quilt pattern was part of my package too. It's called Do Not Open Until Christmas and it's a big pile of Christmas packages! How cute is that? I think it would be a great stash buster too, so I might just have to pull out my Christmas fabrics and see what happens!

This swap, hosted by Paula over at Coffee Time Stitches, was so much fun to be a part of. I'll show you the tote bag I made for my partner soon. If you'd like an idea of what it looked like, you can check out this tote bag over in my Etsy shop since I used the same fabric line and my own tote bag design to make both of them!

Thanks, Rhonda and Paula, for a fun swap!

Happy Stitching!

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Three Crocheted Flowers - Quick, Easy and Cute!

Didn't you just love that darling little periwinkle crocheted hat and scarf set that my mother made? You can see it HERE. As I mentioned last time, the flower pattern was not included in the hat pattern, so Mom asked if I could come up with a flower pattern for her to use.

Well, I came up with three different flower patterns, all finishing about the same size, approximately two inches across when crocheted with worsted weight yarn and a smaller hook than required for the yarn. Here are the patterns for you to use, along with a picture of each...

If you need to brush up on your basic crochet skills, you may find some of my videos helpful. You can find them HERE for each stitch in these patterns.

Three Crocheted Flowers - Quick, Easy and Cute!
Flower 1

ch 5
join with sl st to form ring
ch 1
10 sc in ring
join with sl st to first sc
ch 1
sc in same sp as sl st
*5 dc in next st
sc in next st*
work from * to * around
join with sl st to first sc
finish off



Three Crocheted Flowers - Quick, Easy and Cute!
Flower 2

ch 5
join with sl st to form ring
ch 1
10 sc in ring
join with sl st to first sc
ch 1
sc in same sp as sl st
*(1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc) in next st
sc in next st*
work from * to * around
join with sl st to first sc
finish off



Three Crocheted Flowers - Quick, Easy and Cute!
Flower 3

ch 5
join with sl st to form ring
ch 1
ch 3 (sc in ring, ch 3)4 times
sc in ring (you will have made 5 loops)
(sc, 5 dc, sc) in each loop
sl st in sc from previous round
finish off


Three Crocheted Flowers - Quick, Easy and Cute!So there they are, ready and waiting for you to crochet into cute little embellishments for your own crocheted or knitted items. I'd love to see what you do with them!

Happy Stitching!

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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Crocheted Hat ~ Made by Mom!

Don't you think little girls look so cute in a fancy crocheted hat and matching scarf? Here's a matching set, hat and scarf complete with cute little flower embellishments, that my mother crocheted for one of her very many granddaughters as a birthday gift...


Crocheted Hat ~ Made by Mom!The pattern for this hat and scarf set is in the 2010 Special Issue of Interweave Crochet Accessories, along with lots of other great crochet patterns. But the pattern for the flowers was not included in the book! So my mother skyped me (have you ever skyped? It's fun!) and showed me the picture of the flower on the hat and asked if I could figure out how to make it.

I worked out three flower designs and patterns to go along with them, emailed them to her and got pictures of her finished set the next day! Gotta love technology!

In my next post, I'll share with you the three flower patterns so that you can embellish hats and scarves and mittens and other cozy things too! Stay tuned!

Happy Stitching!

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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Layer Cake Quilt-Along Block One

You may have noticed on my sidebar the cute little button for the Layer Cake Quilt Along. I mentioned it in a post a few weeks ago as another way for me to continue to use up stuff in my sewing room.

So I finished my first block and am very excited to post it on the Flickr group for this project. It's called Alabama Spinner by Gene Black and I love it!


Layer Cake Quilt-Along Block OneThe quilt-along calls for a layer cake of fabric, but I am using fat quarters from my stash.


Layer Cake Quilt-Along Block OneHere's a close-up of the center square on this fun block. I discovered a stitch (I was going to say new stitch, but nothing on my machine is new!) on my sewing machine for machine applique instead of using the old stand-by zig zag stitch. And because the red fabric has gold in it, I used more of that sparkly gold sewing thread to dress it up a little.

I think the next block will be presented this week sometime and now that I have started on the project, I am excited to continue it. The crochet-along I'm working on is almost finished so this will be a fun thing to look forward to every few weeks.

Like I need more stuff to do at this time of year! How about you?

Happy Stitching!

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Saturday, November 13, 2010

I'm a winner!

I love cruising around all the different blogs that I follow, and every now and then I'll enter a giveaway if it's for something I think I will use. Recently I was lucky enough to win two giveaways of fabric and I was thrilled. Take a peek at my prizes...


Giveaway winsRegena over at Quilt n Quilt Things was giving away three packages of charm squares that she cut from her stash.


Giveaway winsShe also included in the package this super cool triangle shaped zipper pouch. I love little pouches like this for holding all sorts of odd things. It's a nice size and it even has a handle!


Giveaway winsOne of the packages looks like it might be all Christmas fabric squares. This is exciting to me because I am in the midst of doing sewing projects for Christmas and having a large variety of different fabrics to choose from while working on small projects can make them so interesting and festive.


Giveaway winsThe next package looks to be a collection of bold designs. These will make great baby quilts.


Giveaway winsAnd this third package looks like it might be an assortment of smaller print. There must be hundreds of blocks in each package, so I should be able to make all sorts of fun and useful things with them. Thanks, Regena!


Giveaway winsAnd then I also won this cute little bundle of fabric from Nola over at Just Ramblin. It's Christmas fabric...


Giveaway wins...just in time for the Christmas projects I hope to be working on soon! Thanks Nola!


Giveaway winsJust as I was ready to publish this yesterday, George the mailman arrived with a package for me from Christine Mitchell up in Canada. I had won one of the prizes she offered during the Fall into Fall Giveaway and here it is! Five beautiful fat quarters, two patterns and some beads and funky sequins for crafts. Thanks Christine!

Whew! I think perhaps I should think about purchasing a lottery ticket soon!

Have you won any exciting prizes lately?

Happy Stitching!

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