A Lovely New Gift...

Brynwood Needleworks - Squirrely Spreader From Krisann

I recently sent a gift to my girlfriend, Krisann. We met in Florida, and spent many Tuesday evenings together with the Panera's ladies. I moved back to Wisconsin, and she returned to her home state of Massachusetts, but we still keep in touch.

She calls me "650", which (she informed me years ago) is what my initials signify in Roman numerals. Isn't she clever? I'm less clever, referring to her as "KA".  (Krisann...KA...get it? okay. okay.) Anyway, I received an envelope from her yesterday, with this sweet tool inside.

Brynwood Needleworks - Squirrely Spreader From Krisann

 

See the squirrel and acorn? Of course, she knows what I like! She said it's a spreader to be used in the kitchen, but I can think of at least 101 uses for it in my studio. I don't want it to get dirty, so in the studio it shall reside.

Once again, I'm a Lucky Girl! Thanks, KA. I LOVE IT!!!

Restless...

Brynwood Needleworks - Coffee Pouch Front

I don't know about you, but when I'm restless, I move furniture around. I doesn't happen as much as it used to in my younger days, perhaps because I'm much more settled now than I was then. It's a good thing, too, because I ache more afterward now than I used to. When did that start? 

I moved a pair of my organizers from the studio closet into the studio (next to my cutting table). Then, I stocked a few of the compartments with my handbag/wallet hardware so everything would be more handy.

I didn't take photos last night, so I can't show you until I can get daylight pictures.

Brynwood Needleworks - Coffee Pouch Back

I did manage to sew up a coffee-themed pouch for a special friend. She can use it for her knitting/crochet projects...or anything else her little heart desires. It will be in the mail soon!

 

 Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lahp4GsI64

Our guild board traditionally serves snacks for our Annual Meeting (which was Tuesday past). Even the outgoing officers have to bring something. I had seen this little video on FaceBook a couple of weeks ago and decided this would be my contribution.

It was a big hit, with many ladies asking for the recipe. Not only did it taste delicious, the smell while cooking was out of this world! I came home with an empty slow cooker (and whipped cream can). Here's a typed version, so you can just copy and paste it to print out:

Slow Cooker Apple Spice Cake

2-20 ounce cans Apple Pie Filling 

1 pkg. Spice Cake Mix

2 sticks butter

Instructions:

Spread apple pie filling in the bottom of a slow cooker.

Sprinkle cake mix on top of pie filling. Place butter sticks 

on top of cake mix. (I like to cut them into segments to place

them on the mix.) Cook in slow cooker (High setting) 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

Serve - hot or cooled -  with ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Planning Ahead...

Brynwood Needleworks - Regia Socks

  I've vowed to make at least one item each month that will be a Christmas gift in 2016. When I'm not sewing in the studio, I'll be knitting or hand sewing while my feet are up.

Brynwood Needleworks - Regia Socks

  I'm working on my first pair of wool blend socks for the gift basket. Of course, I'll be back in the studio tomorrow working on commissions.    

The Future Looks Bright...

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Fabrics

I thought I'd be working on my challenge piece the past few days, but I've had to leave  the house so our realtor could show the property. So, today, I'd like to share images of my latest acquisitions. These are all gifts from a local friend. As I sorted, I took photos.

Brynwood Needleworks - Fabrics

I couldn't believe all the fabulous textures, colors and patterns. My imagination started to ramp up and I could imagine so many possibilities for future projects.

Brynwood Needleworks - Fabrics

When we move into our new home and it's time for me to populate my studio with all my supplies, I have just the plan for showcasing these fabrics. I want them front and center so I know right where they are when it's time to make something special.
Thank you, Carla! I promise they'll all go to good use.

Pineapples For The Birthday Girl...

You've seen these before. Now, I've created a Birthday gift with them!

I had six finished pineapple blocks and decided that four should become a table

runner for someone special. I completed the runner last night and will mail it today.

I decided against sashing, and chose blue border fabric to bring out the yellow.
The blocks are Pineapple blocks, so I'm glad I chose the yellow to reinforce
the design of the block. (Did I tell you that pineapple fruit has been a favorite
since I was a child? Yup. I know I'll do this block again for something for me!)

 This is the runner before quilting and binding, and...

Here's the finished table runner!
 Beautiful blue Bali™ batiks and little Florida sunshine accents.
(The back is the same yellow fabric with one blue fabric strip.)
A gift of love from me to the Birthday girl.

Brynwood Baby...

I think I've told you before how much I enjoy making things for babies.

They're so small and sweet, and I can't help but smile when I finish a piece

meant just for a little one. This is just such an example...a cotton baby kimono.

  This one already has a home. I used soft Rowan Luxury Cotton DK yarn. It will 

wash nicely, and provide a soft, breathable cover for a sweet, new child. I knitted 

this one in the 6-month size so it can be worn for a while. Babies grow so quickly!

I have enough of this gorgeous yarn to make another for my Etsy shop. I think

I'll knit it while we're traveling and list it up when we get back home. Do you

think that I should knit another in a newborn or 6-month size? I can't decide.

Wait until you see what's next (tomorrow)! Another baby gift!

Flying Needles...

  It's so wonderful to be spending a little time knitting again. I'm working on a special project for a new, little someone. I've made a lot of progress since this photograph was taken yesterday, and it will be finished in no time at all.
My arthritic thumbs are protesting, but I'll have none of that right now. There really is something satisfying about creating the "fabric" that becomes the finished piece. I think about things like that while I knit.   There shall be needles flying again today as I work toward completion. I love this creative process. Whatever I do with my hands and heart brings happiness beyond measure. The only thing equal to it is when it's given away.

Posh Pocket Class And Visitors...

Apologies for a blurry photo. Laughing + iPhone = fuzzy pic.

 Two happy students created their own Posh Pockets (formerly

"Fancy Vinyl Pockets" tutorial) in the class I taught at Crazy Quilters 

yesterday. We had a fun time and shared a lot of laughs along the way. 

They left with completed vinyl pockets and instructions to make more.

 I made one along with them and this is what I turned out.

Of course, it's a silly, corgi theme, using printed twill tape, an

 image I printed out on fabric, fancy yarn and metallic thread.

 This is the back of mine. The little blocks were done by a guild  member and included with a fabric offering on our "giveaway" table at the last meeting. I liked the gold floral design, and smiled  when I saw the two small blocks tucked between the fabric folds. This was the perfect opportunity to use them. I did change the name of this pocket for my class, so I went back to  this post and adopted it as the new name for the project. It appears in  my "BW Free Patterns/Tutorials" link in my menu bar.  Once you get the  hang of working with vinyl, you'll want to make a whole lot more.

 A nice ending to our evening was a visit from Domino's owner. He dropped off eight bottles of a lovely moscato wine to thank  me for keeping Domino safe when he ran away from home. I told him I was surprised that he remembered where we lived, but he said he wrote the house number down as soon as he went back inside after I returned his dog to him...and he'd kept my voice mail so he knew how to call ahead to ask to come over. Handsome and I got to meet his two daughters and girlfriend. Such lovely people. Thanks for the wine, Andre! We'll say a toast  to you and Domino when we put up our feet over the weekend.

Tuesdays With Tag - Walkies and A Winner...

 Hi, Everybody!

Mom and I went for a walk down our street this week. 

We have new neighbors all over the place, and I'm excited 

because some of them even have FOUR legs!

Our newest neighbors aren't very far away from our house. I even got

 a whiff of one of them. My Corgi senses stood right up and I had

 to investigate further. I cozied right up to the fence for a better look.

 Can you guys see what I see?

 Come on! Look closer. See the pony waaayyy back there? 

Mom said that he usually hangs out loose in the front yard when she drives

by, but not this day. She said next time she sees him out she'll come back and 

get me. (Of course, we're assuming it's a "him". We don't really know yet.)

She said there's another surprise in their yard, too, but you can't see it here.

She told me a goat  lives in this yard with the horse. I can't wait to sniff a goat!

 We were walkin' back home when I heard someone followin' us. They

 were actually sniffin' our neighbor's horse's yard! (It's ok. There's plenty

for everybody.) I turned around first, and then Mom turned around 

so we could both be neighborly and say "hi". I was likin' this walk!

 I decided to just sit a spell and wait for 'em to catch up. It didn't

 take long 'cuz they were walkin'pretty fast! Mom took the lead and

asked all the questions while I nonchalantly exercised my nose.

Trust me. I was smoooooooth!

This pretty lady is a new neighbor on the other side of our house. She's married to a musician Dad knows and has played with in Port Charlotte. Her name is Suzanne and she's really sweet.   I hate to admit I was too sidetracked with sniffin' and snortin' that I  plum forgot this guy's name. He's a Sharpei that Miss Suzanne and  her husband rescued. He's still growin' into his wrinkles!    I decided to be a little cautious with him because he was still a little "post-rescue" nervous and I really want to be friends with him. Mom is always extra protective of me so I don't get hurt, but we were lookin' out "extra" to make sure there were no shenanigans. Mom and Miss Suzanne agreed that once we're better acquainted,  we can all go for walkies together! I'd like that a lot.
I really like walkies. You never know just who you'll run into! OHHHH! It's time to announce the winner of my Birthday Giveaway, too!!!

 I may not look like it, but I'm really jumpin' up and down inside.

So, Mom let me push the button to choose the winnin' number,

and the number generator kicked out:

#20

Kris Y from Lavender Quilts blog

This is the note Miss Kris left for me... 

"Happy Birthday to my favorite Corgi in the whole wide world!

May you have many, many more healthy, happy birthdays! And

I like your little birthday bib, errrr I mean, bandana!! :))"

Real funny! Well, Miss Kris (anyway). You've won a $10 gift card

from Paneras and a special Corgi mug mat in your favorite colors

made just for you by MOM!

Please contact us by email PDQ to let us know your favorite color

so Mom can get crackin' on your gift. (She's got jury duty and 

is teachin' classes this week, so she'll mail it out to you early

next week if you get back to us right away.) Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone for my Birthday wishes and for enterin' my first

giveaway. Next year, Mom said I can give out more prizes again.

'til then...

"Wag Like Ya Mean It!"

Thanking A Hostess...

 Do you give a gift to your hostess when invited to a party?

I always try to take a little something to let her know we appreciate 

the invitation. Sometimes I take a bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers, 

but my favorite gifts are always handmade. My first choice is a set of 

napkins if I've been to my hosts' home before and know their decor. 

I also have a stack of brand new tea towels that I like to embellish. 

They're simple and easy but have a great wow factor. I just take a strip of 

fabric 2 1/2" wide by the width of the fabric, and cut it to the width of the 

towel (plus 1"). I press each end of the strip under about 1/2". Then turn one 

long edge under about a 1/2" and position it on the towel. (I always double 

check placement by folding the towel in half so the sides meet. I want to make 

sure both ends of the fabric line up with folded.) Topstitch the fabric in place 

about 1/4" from the turned edge. Next, I choose a crocheted lace or woven 

ribbon and sew it down over the other raw edge of the accent fabric. Remember 

to turn the ends of the trim over at the sides so they're finished, too. I do a set 

of two and tie them with a pretty ribbon. It's that simple, but they always look 

like it took a lot longer to make. (Is this understandable? Would pictures help?)

 

We were invited to a friend's home last weekend for a delicious fondue party. 

They live on Siesta Key - right across from the beach, so I thought something 

with a beach theme would be appreciated. A strip of "Martinique" on each towel,

and finished with a lovely mocha crocheted ribbon. They didn't take long either!

There's nothing quite like a personal touch to thank your hostess.

(By the way...they were a hit!)

Flo Continues To Teach...

 When I saw the girls at Coffee Club last Saturday, I was surprised to find

that each of us received a gift of one of Flo's unfinished works-in-progress.

Each kit was different, and we all got a kit using a technique that is new

to the receipient. Mine looks like paper pieced diamonds assembled in a star 

pattern. She always used to tell us that she liked to save her scraps.

 These stars are examples of all the fabrics she'd used in other projects. I've

 done English paper piecing before, so that's not the technique that's new to me.

 Flo loved hand sewing her quilts. That's right. This entire project so far, has 

been hand sewn by Flo and will be finished by me using the same techniques.

I've never hand sewn a quilt - or even a single block - before. Making 

consistent 1/4" seams with needle in hand will be my challenge. As I take

extra care to create each tiny stitch, I'll imagine Flo looking over my 

shoulder...and hope that I'm not disappointing her. She'll continue to teach 

me,  even as she is absent from our daily lives. I aim to make her proud.

I'm in no hurry. Doing this project right is definitely going to take me a while.

A Bug From Down Under...

 Whenever I need a dose of Royal Academy of Needlework-quality embroidery, I

head over to Lee's blog "Notes From Under the Mountain". Lee lives in 

New Zealand in the shadow of Mt. Taranaki, and her handwork will make you

 swoon. She creates the most beautiful things and her stitches are perfection.

One day, I stopped by to visit and saw that Lee was offering up a piece of her

handwork in a giveaway. She had four little bugs that she'd stitched and there 

would be four lucky winners. I added my comment and crossed my fingers.

(This was the post announcing the winners on her blog. I was so excited!!!)

 I received my little beetle in the mail on Saturday and immediately opened

the package! Lee had tucked this little beauty inside a card of Mt. Taranaki.

I can't even imagine living anywhere with a view like that!

 I'm mesmerized by this little red beetle. It has bead-y black eyes, a 

leathery head and a puffy body stitched in sparkling red threads. I'm

in awe of the talent that Lee poured into all four of her beetles. Making

them seems to come so naturally to her. She's an inspiring needlewoman.

 For now, my little red beetle is going to sit on my sewing table right

in front of Harris so that I can look at it whenever I want to. I know 

I'll eventually affix it to something special - some time in the future -

but for now, I'm going to keep it close and enjoy looking at it.

I'm so grateful that Lee chose my name, and then was willing to

send this sweet gift all the way to Florida, USA.

I'll cherish this gift from your hands for a long time to come.

Thank you, Lee!

Applique' On The Go...

 Can you believe it's FRIDAY again, already? Where is the time going?

Today, I'm sharing a Christmas gift I received from lovely Brenda in 

our Saturday Morning Coffee Club. She made an organizer for all my 

applique' tools and it's perfect! First...I love the fabrics she chose.

 I don't know if she created this from a pattern or designed it herself,

but it has just the right number of pockets for my tools and supplies.

(I'll ask her on Saturday if it was a pattern and if so, I'll share the name of it.)

I already had my vinyl pouch for all the things that might fall out

of the side pocket, but don't you think it looks like it was made especially for

 this purpose? It just the right size! I'll tell you more about it later in this post.

I managed to tuck quite a few applique' tools into that little pouch...

A fimo-trimmed, glass bottle for my needles; bias binding makers in

three sizes; my indispensable Thread Heaven; a rubber finger sleeve

that I use as a thimble-on-the-go (I don't want to lose my precious silver

one!); Roxanne's Glue Baste It temporary, water-soluble glue and 

Aleen's OK to Wash It permanent glue in little travel bottles.

 I also added a safety pin (I just remembered I got a fancy one from our 

granddaughters that I can use!) to hold my spool of Kimono silk in a neutral 

color. The spool kept falling out of the pocket, so I threaded the ribbon through 

the holes on the spool and then pinned the ribbon to the edge of the pocket. 

It's easy to use this way without unpinning it, too!

 On the right hand side of the organizer are long, skinny pockets for holding 

my applique' & pressing tool and stiletto. When I'm not using the stiletto, 

you'll notice from the other photos that I keep a cork on the sharp end so I don't

hurt myself. Brenda also sewed two little felt flaps at the top to hold needles and

pins. I added my cute, little metal dog which has a magnet to hold it to the flap.

 When I'm sewing, I can park my needle there so I don't lose it.

 I also have a Sharpie™ marker (for drawing my applique' shapes on

freezer paper); my 1/4" stencil brush for applying starch to the fabric;

and another handy tool...it's a convenient refillable glue pen from

Sewline. It's also water soluble and has blue glue that turns clear when 

it dries. The fact that it's refillable was also a selling point for me.

This kit is great! All I have to do is grab it and most of what I need to 

applique' is right in my hands. I really appreciate this wonderful and 

handy gift from my friend. Thank you, Brenda. It's workin' great!

 Now...about this vinyl pocket. Have you seen these before?

Would you like to know how to make your own? It's simple and quick.

Just let me know if you'd like a tutorial and if you'd like to know,

I'll post one for you next week so you can learn how to make your own!

All you have to do is ask!

If you missed yesterday's post, click here to learn how you can enter my

Sweetheart Valentine Giveaway!  There's still plenty of time to enter.