ROUND'EM UP FOR FEBRUARY--

 I have to say I had a busy month in the stitching and craft projects--

Here is some projects not already shown this month--

First --this was my Chookshed challenge for this month--

I got this tulip fabric before I moved to Florida 10 years or so ago--from the local quilt shop in NY--I have 2 other fabrics to go with these tulips--I have attempted to work on these off and  on every few years--but I decided they needed to come out of --time out--and become something--all I can say is--so far I have 4 brown baskets of pink tulips!!!!

For the jewel hearts I did do quite a few of the green ones--and in looking for some other fabrics for a project--I found more blue prints--

So added some for of those--My girl friend Anne, in NY often sends me small pieces of fabric that she is working with in her hospice quilts and this week I got the blue with the daisy's and the red print with the black and white dogs on them--also have a white with some pink flowers--don't have them stitched up yet--I also cut out more 'basic' colored jewels--

And here is photo of 28 hexies that I embroidered one each day for the International Embroidery month of Feb--I love doing these--and I think I will trace out more and keep going--but now I don't have to do one every day--believe it or not--each one took me at least an hour--and sometimes 2 hours to stitch!!

Now this week--I basically had it 'free' for 4 days--my monthly challenges where done--but don't fear--I had a list of projects to do--the first day I sewed up these 3 little items--

The chicken on the left was a kit--that I bought back in 2005 while on a shop hop--from a shop called Adirondack Quilts in Glen Falls, NY--and I did look them up--they are still in business--I finally got her made--the little lamb is a kit that I got free in my first months kit package for the Country living BOM project--and this chicken on the right is a wool chicken--I got the pattern in a recent wool order I did-------well--they may look quick and easy--but those chickens were a 'dickens' to figure out--I need to do more small items, I guess!!!!

The second day--I actually did some painting--

I got these two birdhouses to paint on the same day--the teapot one I got at JoAnn's probably the last time I went there, a good year ago or so--and the green on I got that day at Aldi's next door--I painted the teapot one a light pink and did the napkin mod podge thing to it--first time I did that--the other one is a dark green paint--the roof was already painted the navy blue--and I had a nice floral rub on that I used on it--

the 3rd day--I was back at finishing off some counted cross stitch projects--for displaying--

These 2 were hung up but needed the fabric backing piece and I also decided to add a bit of trim to the tops of them--

and these--

needed the first step of getting their cardboard (I use cake boards from Walmart cut to size)--they will get fabric backings as well--but I need more cake boards first--there was alot and I mean alot of tacky glue used on this day!!!!

I gave myself a surprise--Missouri quilts had a daily deal and one day this tin popped up--

I believe the original price was like $65?? and they had it on sale for $25--and I just happened to have alittle money yet in the bank so I did press that pay button--

And this is all the 'goodness' inside the tin--I believe there is 28 flower patterns in the booklet--My biggest surprise was that it came in a tin instead of a cardboard container--I do love 'tins'!!!

And it looks like Diane is thinking about Easter all ready????

THE HAPPIEST NEWS IS--WE GOT A LITTLE RAIN--WE ARE SO DRY HERE--CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN WE GOT RAIN LAST--ALL I KNOW IT'S BEEN AWHILE!!!

ARE YOU READY FOR MARCH--OUR COLOR WILL BE RED I SEE--AND IT WILL BE TIME TO START ALL OUR MARCH PROJECTS--

HUGS, AND BLESSINGS TO EVERYONE--DI

UNDER THE NEEDLE

 My goodness--why doesn't Di keep us up to date on what she is doing??

It's cause--I am either hiding under quilts while I am stitching or --

having to have the A/C cooling unit on and it's too hot to type!!!!

But let's see what she has been up to lately--

First up is a new monthly BOM from Country Harts--

the fee is $10.00 a month and it's a downloadable pattern--and is out of AU--I love all the designs I have seen for this BOM so far--it's right up my alley as they say--this months was a 'big' one--but some seem to be much simpler--I do not believe I will be making my blocks this large--this is also a 'quilt' as you go project--again--I haven't decided for mine??????

And here is Block 2 of the Country Living bom--

It's a button box--and yes--I did reverse  the wools--but that is ok-I love it just the same!!!

Here is the first '2' blocks of this BOM--

And I have this month's house blocks done--in the color green--

and the second house--

I am getting 

creative with the 'door's!!!

And 2 more knitted items are finished--

a small hat--

and another larger baby sweater--

I am using up small balls of leftover yarns--

Lot's more projects--need to do photo's though--!!!!!

And last Friday I took myself out to lunch--

to the Harvest Thyme café next door--it was 85 degrees and very hot--so I ended up eating inside--but one of these days I am gonna enjoy lunch on this porch!!!!

It is really pretty inside --too!!!  I had the Strawberry French toast again with a tall glass of unsweet ice tea--yummmmy!!!

OH and now we are back to 30's at night and only 55 during the day--but it is suppose to warm up tomorrow--to low 70's--we will see--and the big news is---we had about 10 minutes of nice rain on Saturday--can't remember when we had rain last??????????????

WE ARE CLOSING IN ON SPRING--TIME TO THINK TULIPS, DAFFOIDS, RABBIT'S, CHICK'S AND EGG'S!!!

HUGS, DI

BLUE SKY'S AND BRIGHT SUNSHINE---

 I am so happy that, that, last, over 2 week cold spell --is behind us--I know it wasn't as cold here as some places--but for Florida --is was way too cold--we lost lots of trees and flowering bushes--there is 'brown' every where you look--so sad--but it could of been worse--sooo--on we go--- forward---

I have kept busy every day with lots of stitching--mainly on Valentine items--I got some pretty red wools in last week and this is what I created with them--

I made 5 heart pillows--2 smaller ones and 3 large ones--I then got my lace trims out and decorated each one with a bit--and then remembered my container of 'old' buttons, and got it out and  put some on each one!!

I also did another Valentine counted cross stitch pillow--

This is one of  Melisa's designs-but--I messed up--the 'o' letter and made it too small--and had it all done before I realized it--so just kept going--there was suppose to be a design inside each letter--so I decided to keep the whole thing--simpler--and this is what I created--!!!(sorry Melisa!!)

Here it is with more of Melisa's Valentine mini pillows I have stitched and one little wool pillow, with a cute rabbit--I believe that pattern came from Just Button Co. a couple years ago!!

And in a recent fabric order, I had ordered the 'fox' fabric and this cat fabric and decided to do small pillows for my bed--!!

And here is some of the Hexie's I am embroidering this month--for International Embroidery month--

for some reason the color is off on this photo--sorry!!!  I have 5 more stitched--but not pressed and paper pieced yet--I do enjoy stitching these each afternoon--and between a couple you can see  a swatch of the fabric that I 'think' I will be using to put them together--but the triangle paper for these are sooo tiny--

It is a 1-inch triangle--ouch!!!

And so far for one of my 'green' projects for the color of the month--I have these jewel hearts made--

There is 30 here and I have a couple more done--just not pressed--these are addictive!!!  How do you like the little cat face ones???

and here is this month's tiny house--by Melisa--

and here is Jan and Feb's on the new birch lighted tree--

What a story on the finishing on these two--On January's I had put a 3mm braid in brown around it and had ordered enough to do more --but then--unfortunately--I am just not a 'brown' person--so I decided when it was time to do the February one--I would pick a color for the frame that would go with the design colors of the house--so that meant ordering braid in more colors--found a nice set of 10 colors in the 3mm braid and ordered it--only--only it was a very small 3mm--too small for the houses--so ordered the same set in 4mm--only I think it's really 5mm--but would work--then the fun really began--first I hot glued the trim to them and what a mess--so had toplay with it to pull all the hot glue off , now that is another story--but finally go enough off that I could hand stitch the trim on--cause if you have worked with this silk braid you know how easily it can fray out once you cut it--so you have to have plan for that-- it took a couple try's before I was happy with how to do these--they did get unstitched a couple times--why oh why do I think I have to have different idea's to finish something--but that's me--what can I say!!!!  Hopefully all the 'bugs' are worked out now and March's house will be easier and take a whole less time to build!!!!

Have more projects in the works and I just signed up for a really cute embroidery quilt/wall hanging from a shop in AU--will show you next time--

HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINES DAY--EVERYONE!!

HUGS, DI

HAPPY "VERY" COLD FEBRUARY??????

 

Now everyone expects this kind of weather --up north--but not here in Florida--

It was only 25 degrees early this morning-- with a feel like temp at only--16--you have got to be kidding me--and I am mid state on the East coast--it's a first for me that is for sure--it is only '40 degrees ' out there right now and our high will be 45--by 5:00pm--then go back down to 30 tonight--tomorrow the high will be maybe 50--so---we are very cold here in the Sunshine state--but then--the sun is shinning today and we have pretty blue  skies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????  I am glad I have 'quilts'!!!

I did have a busy -- stitchy month of January--so am happy about that--

Let's talk about the 'color' blue'--as that was our color of the month for January--

I am working on two projects in each months color--

One is Housebuilding--

I drew out my own design and then figured out the seam allowances-- wanted a good sized window for the fussy cuts each month--but those windows are gonna be a challenge I believe--so good hunting to me!!!  Plan to make at least 2 houses each month of  the color challenge--

And then I had this pattern in my 'collection' of things I wanted to make--and decided this was the time to do them--

Jewel heart --1" jewels in paper piecing--and I use needle and thread--

this is how you sew them together --later---not sure if I want to keep all of one color in one area or not--so for now they will just go into this old wood bowl I have--

So far I have 21 blue ones and if the color of the month is done--then I am working on some neutrals-

 and yes--some of these I do 'fussy' cut too---have started cutting some in greens for this months color of the month--

And talking about houses--

Melisa--@pinkernpunking.blogspot.com 

is designing a new monthly series of counted cross stitch houses--

And this month's house was 'blue'--I scratched my head in wondering how I can display all  these new tiny homes, and this is what I came up with--

I ordered a lighted birch tree to hang them on--that's the reason for the braid loop on top of mine!!  now I am ready for her to give us the February house!! 

Also, in blue it was my 'ufo' project for January-- just happened to be --blue!!!

I did a bit of a curve on the corners of this quilt instead of a 'square' corner and I really like the look!!This quilt is rather large and is one I have designed--even the blocks with the embroidered hearts are my designs!!

and to finish off the blue--month of January--here is the pillows and cross stitching I did to go  with my snowman decorating--

5 out of 6 items here are all new projects in Jan 2026!!!

Some red work was also done in January--  

I made a red and white heart quilt--well--more of a wall hanging size--but actually it will be a table quilt for me--it is on my round table now--need to find something for the backing, and as I will be decorating for Valentines day in the next day or two--I plan to use this as is for now--after Valentines day I will layer it and hand quilt it!!!

And there was some good progress on the Mrs. Claus counted cross stitching--

I kept taking pictures as I went-- as I kept planning on doing a blog post!!!!

And now to show you a new BOM program I am doing--

I just got this first kit a couple days ago and have it nearly finished--this afternoon I just need to stitch the flowers and the buttons--

this is a BOM for Attic Heirlooms and is $17 a month in auto pay if you want to do the whole year--I haven't done anything Country in awhile--plus it is wool on cotton and you get everything but the thread for the $17--but there is thread packets you can order each month--I believe--so who is gonna join me on this BOM?????

And another sweater is finished--

I like the colors on this one--am down to odds and ends of yarn now--need to order some more of the baby yarn--

Well--there you have it--all I can say is--I am so grateful that our AC units also have a Heat setting in them --or I would be coming to stay at your house!!!!!!!!!!

And yesterday I also got 32 tiny designs all traced out for my Embroidery month of February--

Yes--I know there is only 28 days in February--but I am doing this design--

the one on the 'tiny treasures' cover--hers is 16X20--but she used all the embroideries in the book about 69--at this point I plan to do one half that size but will need 32 or so --I just ordered the 1" triangle shapes--but still need to decide on the color of the fabric????

SO WHAT EMBROIDERY PROJECT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO IN FEBRUARY????

AND MAY WE ALL WARM UP THIS NEXT WEEK--EVEN WITH THE HEAT ON--MY HANDS ARE COLD--OH AND MY FEET!!!!!

HUGS, DI