May Color Challenge Finished

Even though I started late, I finished up my May Color Challenge project by the end of May!

I had so much fun with this challenge!  In fact, this project inspired me to work on redoing my hall bathroom, which is were this is going to end up hanging!

May Color Challenge Start

 I'm a little late to start but I decided to join Crafty Sheep's May Color Challenge.  This stitch-a-long really appealed to me because it's simple, just use the colors!  Here's what I came up with.....

I've had this pattern saved for quite a long time now and this seemed like the perfect project for it.  The colors are really close to the colors I have in my hall bathroom and I think this little mermaid will fit in well with the ocean decor I already have.  I picked colors from floss I already had and ended up with the following:  Green 581, Light Blue 3811, Dark Blue 924, Orange 722, Yellow 3822 I'm stitching it all on a white on white polka dot fabric and I plan on framing it in the hoop which I will probably spray paint.  I'm super excited to stitch up this project and there's still time for you to join in the fun!

April Pillow Exchange

For Stephanie's April Pillow for our Pillow Exchange, she wanted something with the theme April Showers instead of Easter.  I had this scrap of Yellow, Blue, White, and Gray flower fabric that I thought would just be perfect so I decided to use it as my starting point and color scheme.  I also remembered this adorable hand embroidery design with a girl holding a umbrella and dancing in the rain and thought it would be just perfect!  Here's what I came up with.

I did machine applique and hand embroidery for the girl.  I used blue rhinestones for the rain drops.  The cloud is machine applique.  The words are also applique but I didn't stitch them down at all, they are fused on but that is it.  I just loved how they looked and I was afraid that if I stitched on them it would mess up the effect.  I started out with the idea of using more patterned fabrics but the last two pillows I did for her had a little too much going on so I tried to keep this one a little more simple by using less patterned fabrics.  This one may still be a little too busy for her but I'm learning.

Wild Olive's Stitch Swap Finished Project

I guess I inspired myself because I finished my project for Wild Olive's Stitch Swap!

I really love how it turned out!  I just love this design so much!  I had to edit it a bit to fit in a smaller frame but I think I still captured the essence of the design.  I think I'm going to do this one again, but larger and different colors, for my girl's room.  I had to buy a fat quarter of fabric to get the look that I wanted for the dress and because I had so much leftover I decided to stitch up a little sewing kit

(tutorial by Lots of Pink Here) for my stitch swap buddy as well.

 

It turned out super cute as well!  I think I'll have to make one for myself.  The fabric is not as blue as it photographed (it's more aqua) but I couldn't for the life of me get it to look right!

 

I just really love how the whole project turned out and I can't wait to ship it off to my buddy!

Wild Olive's Stitch Swap Start

A little while ago I joined Wild Olive's Stitch Swap and I finally got all my supplies together so I can get started!  Here's a little sneak peak of what I'll be using.

I know I'm running a bit late since I need to have it in the mail by the last day of the month but I haven't received mine yet either so I figure I must not be too behind compared to everyone else.  I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get it finished in time!

Bird Stitches Block 9

So you remember way back in January when I stitched the block for the adorable Birdie Stitches by Little Miss Shabby?  Well as you know I haven't been very good about keeping up however I finally finished 3 more of them!  Block 2 & Block 3 that I actually stitched up way back in March but finally finished into pillow covers and the adorable Block 9 for September!

Just so cute!!  I had this dot fabric leftover from another project and it matched my other September project so I matched the floss colors to the fabric and went to stitching!  It looks so cute sitting on my couch!  Also here are the other two blocks finally all done as pillow covers.  Linking up to the Celebrate Color event at Stitched in Color.

 I also have plans to do the Easter block and the 4th of July block but that might not happen until next year.  I just love these blocks and have had some much fun stitching them!

Giraffe Blanket for Evie

I know I haven't blogged forever!  It's because I haven't sewed or crafted or anything else in forever!  Everything seems to slide a lot for me in the summer.  I did get back into the sewing finally because I got an order in my Etsy Shop!  Yay!  It's amazing how much money can motivate a person.  So this weekend I made this cute pink and brown with a giraffe applique.

I did quite a bit of embroidery work on this blanket.  I tried to find a giraffe print fabric but struck out in the colors I was looking for so I decided to embroider the spots on.  I love how the colors came together on this blanket.  The large white dot on dark brown fabric paired really nicely with the soft fluffy fleece.  A cute blanket for a cute little girl.

Cupid Embroidery

The other project I did for my Valentine decor was this cupid embroidery.

I found a vintage cupid embroidery pattern on Flickr.  I embroidered it on all white on red cotton.  Then I stretched it around a piece of cardboard and put it in a frame I already had, that I had spray painted hot pink.  I added a little Valentine ribbon to hang it.  I had a little difficulty embroidering this because I didn't really have the proper tools to transfer the design.  I managed to transfer it by tracing it on with a white colored pencil.  Even then it was pretty hard to see and the lines weren't as crisp as I would have liked so I had to reference the image a lot.  In fact, most the hair was me winging it.  I wish I would have had a better transfer to follow and I'm sure it would have turned out a lot better.  That being said, I really like it!  I happy with the all white stitching on the red and I'm happy with the overall effect.  I will have to try idea again for other holidays!

Birdie Stitches Block 1

I found this adorable new block of the month called Birdie Stitches by Little Miss Shabby.

I love birds and this pattern was just so adorable I couldn't not stitch it.

 

Once I had finished stitching it, I used it to make a pillow cover for a throw pillow for my couch.

I really love the colors I choose, especially the little red bird.  I'm excited to see next month's design!

Ballerina Totes

My little girls start dance class today. I thought it would be fun to make them some cute little totes to carry their dance stuff in. I've had this ballerina fabric since Kaitlin was a baby and I think this was the perfect project for it. Originally I was going to use the ballerina fabric on the outside and the pink on the inside but then Stephanie had the idea to use the print fabric on the inside and an applique on the pink for the outside. I loved the idea because that's exactly the kind of stuff I love! In fact I'm not sure why I didn't think of it.

They turned out perfectly pink and they scream girl! I love them!

Christmas Stockings

I decided to make stockings this year for the first time since both the girls have been born. I really like the classic red and white stocking so I decided that's what I would make. Although I don't use it now, I still have the stocking that I used every Christmas I can remember as a kid. I hope these stockings will be that for my kids. The red is a plush that is similar to velvet and the white is poly shantug which has a beautiful silk like texture to it. I hand embroidered the names with a red satin embroidery floss. I'm beyond happy with how they turned out!

Christmas Wish Block 5 & 6

Block 5 (Peace) and Block 6 (Believe) from the Christmas Wish BOM by Gail Pan Designs.

Embroidery for Aiyana

I know, I know. I haven't posted in over two weeks. It's not that I haven't been working on anything so much as I have been working on a part of a very large something. My BFF, Stephanie, has been sewing like crazy for her daughter's room. I, of course, volunteered to help. My contribution was mainly embroidery (and a little bit of pinning and brainstorming here and there.) Here's what I've been working on.

A little bit of this...


...and this...


...and 3 decorative pillows.






It's all turned out very pretty, peach, yellow and girly. Which is exactly what she wanted! So job well done!

Christmas Wish Block 4

Block 4 (Hope) from the Christmas Wish BOM by Gail Pan Designs. Only 3 more to go to be caught up to current!

Camera Strap for Randi

The wonderful and talented Randi took some pictures for me of my beautiful baby girl, Isabella, in her 1 year birthday dress.  I wanted to make her something to say thank you so I decided to use some scraps I had and sew her up a camera strap cover.



I used the camera strap tutorial at Cluck Cluck Sew and added some little pockets that I embroidered on.



I think it turned out super cute! I hope you like it Randi!

Christmas Wish Block 3

I've finally finished block 3 (Joy) from the Christmas Wish BOM by Gail Pan Designs.



I think I need to pick up the pace on these otherwise I'll never be done by Christmas!

Christmas Wish Block 1 and 2

Here's Block 1 (Love) and Block 2 (Merry) for the Christmas Wish BOM by Gail Pan Designs.





I've actually had these done for a while and figured I should probably get them posted. LOL

A Christmas Wish BOM

Today I though I would share a Block of Month I'm starting. It's called A Christmas Wish by Gail Pan Designs.





I love holidays and Christmas is no exception! I'm using white for the background and then I'm using satin embroidery floss for the red and greens, metalic gold instead of yellow and the metalic white so the white thread as some contrast from the background fabric. I going to wait until the blocks are done to pick out the surrounding fabrics. I think this is going to turn out really pretty and it will fit right in with my Christmas decorating style.