In a Pickle

 Today's post is brought to you by the word, pickles.  Yay for pickles!  I love 'em, do you?!

When I found out my partner in the Phat Quarter Food swap had the nickname, Gherkin, I knew I had to go with it.  So I made her a pickle jar, with my attempt at a label.  It says, "Leslie's World Famous Gherkins.  Petites with a punch."  Originally it was to be a patch, but I think this came out better.  Now if I could have just got a good picture of it.  Taking pictures of round things is hard!

 I guess the fabric I used for the words was too thin, I've never had it stretch out like that before?  Any suggestions?  It didn't seem like that when it was one the hoop.

 I started by plotting out a pattern on the computer, mainly to play with all the different fonts.  And to get the oval shape even, I'm terrible at that sort of thing.  I transferred it onto the green fabric with my trusty Clover pencil and stitched away.  Somehow my stitching turned out a little crazy in the word, famous.  However, I'm learning not to beat myself up and obsess over every little thing, so I went with it still.  Once the stitching was complete I cut it out with pinking shears and stitched it onto the orange felt.

The jar is an upcycled Trader Joe's coffee can that I covered with vintage green linen.  I couldn't quite get the back seam right, so I used some coordinating ribbon to cover that up.  Not thrilled about that so I didn't take a picture, ha.  I finished up by attaching the vintage foodie trim with tiny dabs of hot glue.  Then I glued the entire patch onto the jar.  Added some felt to the lid, done!  I filled the jar with goodies and sent it on it's way.  My partner, Leslie, liked it, so I'm happy!

Ok, once I share pics of the foodie pieces I've received lately, I promise- no food posts for a while.

I'm a Bookworm- Part 2

I realized as I looked at my Happy Hoopy Wall that I never showed you guys what I got in the Phat Quarter Book Themed Swap.  I'm terrible! 

I got this little lovely from Salvaged Mutiny.  She's a talented stitcher who makes costumes while traveling the world on a giant cruise ship.  Find her on flickr or check out her blog!

Check out all the detail in the trees!   Isn't that awesome?  I love fairy tales, especially the dark ones, so this was right up my alley.  I'm certainly a lucky gal.

Well, that's all I've got for tonight.  I'm off to bed so I can get up bright and early for the morning shift at my work.  See you tomorrow for Snapshot Friday!  Sweet dreams, kids.

I'm a Bookworm!

Two posts?!  On a Monday?!  I know, I'm blowing your mind here.  I have to confess that I've been dying to post this, so I just couldn't wait.  I recently participated in the Phat Quarter Swap.  It was my first swap in a while, as I've been feeling a little iffy on the subject lately.  With a theme like "Books" though, how could I resist?!  I got word that my partner had received her piece and loved it.  Yay, success!

Want to see it?! Okay, here!

I was excited to here that we share a common love of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, so I went with that.  This is based on a photo of him in his younger days.  I really enjoy making personalized pieces for people in swaps and it's even better when it's something I love too.  I rarely work in one color, so it's always crazy to see all the detail you create.

I also had the pleasure of learning a new stitch for this piece.  I learned the Turkey Stitch, thanks to a little help from Youtube.  I think it worked great for his mustache. 

So, yeah, that's one of the projects that's kept me busy lately.  Glad I could share it with you.  I hope it's generated some interest in you for Marquez's work.  If you've never read any of it, cruise by your local library and pick some up.  I'd suggest One Hundred Years of Solitude or Love in the Time of Cholera.  Both are amazing, you won't be disapointed.

Thanks for tuning in twice today, guys!  You're the best :)  See you again later.

Switchin' Stitches- Round 2

This is a little swap that I participated in with the Switchin' Stitches group on Flickr.  This round I was paired up with Lolablueocean.  Knowing my love of gorgeous gals, she took inspiration from her grandfather- renowned pin-up artist, Ted Withers.  How cool is that?!

She stitched up this lovely for me.

One thing that I really love about his work is the layering of sketches and alternate poses.

Looking through her favorites, I was inspired by her love of Blythe Dolls.  So I stitched one up based on a photo I found online.  I just changed the colors to include the ones that appeared in her favorites the most.

Here she is!

Originally I just stitched it, but I thought it needed a little bit more, so I tinted it.

We both had agreed to surprise each other, so I think it's funny that we both stitched up girlie girls.

See you soon!  I'll be back to share more exciting things that have been happening around here.

Tuesday Teaser

Today's Tuesday teaser is for the lovely Lisa.  She was kind enough to send me some goodies for paper crafting and sweet swag from the Renegade Craft Fair.  Awesome stamps from far away lands, an embroidered notebook to feed my paper addiction, blank ATCs, divine twine.... so many bits of wonderful.

Isn't the little strawberry she made so cute?  It hangs on my work bench where I keep special little things that make me happy.  (Here you can, kind of, also see Keni's paper crane and Sam's Guide to 2010.)

As I got together a little bundle of happy for her, it occurred to me- I can't send her something without including something stitchy.  After all, embroidery is what "introduced" us in the first place.  So, I set to work on a pattern that is sooooo her.  Can't show you guys yet, but here's a little preview.

I chose bright and happy colors, because that's what reminds me of Lisa!

 I'll be back soon with tons of things to share.  Now that some major projects have gotten done, I'll have more time for regular blogging.  Yay! 

Hope you guys are having a craftastic day!!

Eight-Year-Olds, Dude.

Holy smokes, 3 posts in one day!  Can you believe it?  Yep, you are that special.

Remember those errands I mentioned on Thursday?  One has been a long time coming.

That's right!  I finally finished The Jesus!!!  Took long enough, huh?  Poor Shannon had to wait forever for him.  I'll be honest, I set him down quite a few times.  Ready to give up and completely start over.  Unsure of my choices and a wee bit over the purple, after having it in several of my recent projects.  But I kept on truckin' and he's finally done.  He's arrived at his new home and now I can share some pictures with you.

(Click for a larger view.)

I ventured a little beyond my usual embroidery style, incorporating paint into this piece.  Feels good to bring my two loves together.  And of course, I had to fit in some metallic floss, even if I was embellishing a bit there.  Perhaps that'll end up being my signature.  I'm not much of a glitter/bling girl but I can never resist the urge to bring a little shine to my pieces.  I don't really know why.

The whole thing is stitched with DMC.  I only used 7 colors and the thickest was 3 strands.  Last time I made my own pattern for the piece.  However, this time I was inspired by the cover art for the book, I'm a Lebowski, You're a Lebowski, illustrated by Bill Green.  Which is a hilarious read, by the way.  It had to be kid friendly and surprisingly, there are hardly any pictures of him online (that don't involve him licking a bowling ball.)

This was the first time that I signed one of my pieces.

I still don't know how I feel about it.  Part of me thinks it's a bit presumptuous, like it really matters, right?  And then part of me thinks, well, I would sign a painting.  So, I'm not really sure.  What do you thing about signing pieces?  Does it make me look like pompous ass?  Honestly.

Craftastic Swap!

Becky of Strumpets Crumpets thought of the best idea!  A craft supply swap.  A quick and painless way to get rid of some of the unused supplies we have lying around.  You know, that stuff you bought when you had a grand plan for it...but it never worked out.  Or the goodies left over from past projects.

All you do is upload photos of your crafting supplies to the swap's flickr group.  Wait for someone to comment, first person who does gets it.  Easy no?  So go see what you have to swap.

I found some stuff.

Like yarn,

stamps,

scrap-booking embellishments,

oil cloth,

tiny hangers,

fat quarters,

and sheer fabric.

How about you?  Have anything you aren't using?  De-stash, it feels good.  Then trade it for something you can actually put to good use!

Movie Madness

As a swapping fool, I knew that I would have to sign up for the Phat Quarter Swap.  When I found out the theme was movies, well, that just sealed the deal.  As if a movie swap alone wasn't exciting enough, it kept getting better.  The stitcher sending to me would be Giddygirlie and I would sending to Maureen of Sew Lovely Embroidery.  Awesome!!

Giddygirlie sent me my very own H.I. McDunnough from the 1987 classic Raising Arizona.  Perfect!

One of her favorite lines, "Son, you've got a pantie on your head."

One of mine, "There's what's right and there's what's right.  And never the twain shall meet."

He now lives in the sewing corner.  Doesn't he fit just right?

I found out that Maureen and I share a love of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, so I went with that.  I made a little wallet style pouch that looked like a Wonka Bar.  Yum yum in my tum tum.

I stole this screen shot (Thanks, Katy!!)  since my scan looked liked crap.  Of course, the camera came that very day, minutes after I had mailed it out. Figures.

I made it from eco-friendly craft felt, vintage fabric from my stash and embroidery floss.  Ol' Bessie was feeling a little bit left out so I let her attach the inside flower fabric to the gray felt.  I tried to get some fun candy fabric for the inside but was severely disappointed by the paltry selection available around town.  I mean, really, does every chocolate themed fabric have red in it?  Or do all of the candy fabrics also have donuts, isn't that more of a bakery thing?  In the end, I'm glad I didn't find any.  I think the vintage fabric works better, being an older movie and all.  Besides, perhaps those flowers look like the kind that grow on Snozzberry vines.

 Despite sketching it out and doing what I thought was planning, it was a learn as you go sort of thing.  I'm really happy with the way it came out and can't wait to have one of my own.  I'm overjoyed to hear that Maureen likes it too.  

Oh hey, speaking of movies!   Schinders of Schindermania fame has three stitched pieces, that I freaking love, in a show at Gallery 1988 in San Francisco.  To see these pieces and for more info on the show, go here!  With all of the pieces being based on cult movies, I would love to check out this show.  It opens this weekend!  So come on Bay Area folks, show some love.

Thanks for looking, I'll be back with some torture, ahem, I mean, a teaser.

T-T-T-Tea Towel!

I stitched this for my partner in the "Sublime Stitching Embroidery" Swap.  The pattern is from Artist Series # 9 by Carson Ellis.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love her work?!

The banner says, "Love" in Russian.

If you aren't familiar with Carson Ellis, check out her website by linking on her name above.  Oh, and read this short interview!

Thanks for looking.  I'll be back later with some thriftacular finds because after all, it is Thursday.  See you soon.

Tuesday Teasers!

Today I have tiny teasers for the movie pieces I've been working on.

First up, a piece of purple for the Giggly Mama.  Remember she wanted a kid safe version of Jesus Quintana from The Big Lebowski!?  Try not to notice the cat hair, I'm not actually sending that to Shannon.

Followed by a little piece of happy for Maureen of Sew Lovely Embroidery.  She was my partner in the Phat Quarter Movie Swap.  Hmmmm, whatever could this be?

I can't wait to reveal these top secret projects.  I'm loving them both!  I have a hard time maintaining the element of surprise, I get too excited.

Besides these things, I've been stitching a bunch of stuff, sketching like crazy, and plotting some new paintings.  I'm also trying to get used to a new daily routine.  I'm devoting a lot more of my time to getting back in shape- and it feels great.  

Oh, and more good news!  The boybot ordered a new fancy-schmancy camera.  And guess what?!  He says I can play with it!!  So that means I can post about more stuff than just what I can scan.  Yay- many fun things to come.

What are some of the good things happening in your life this week?

Snail Mail.

My, my!  A whole week since I last said hi to you lovelies?! That's just bananas.  Well, I've certainly been a busy bee but that's really no excuse not to come by and at least say hi.  How rude of me.  Tsk, tsk.  Well, I can assure you that wont be quiet 'round these parts for long.  I've been working on lots of stuff to share with you.  I even have another giveaway coming up- stay tuned.

In the meantime, Kimmie received my package for Round 1 of the Switchin' Stitches group, so I'm free to show you what I made for her.  She wanted a crafty theme with the colors red, white and black.  Did I mention before that she's a super pro quilter?  She's swapping with tons of people and plans to make a wall hanging for her craft room with those type of squares.  I can't wait to see the whole thing assembled.  I love collaborative efforts.

I made her square using one of my favorite vintage patterns. 
(If you wanna, click on it for a bigger view!)

Like I told her, it's just so silly!  A snail...sewing?  Bhah ha ha, it's hilarious.  Is he going to wear that giant sock, too?  Ack, I just love ridiculous patterns like this.

More swap stitches coming soon!  I've been crazy busy with those lately.  I can't wait until this last batch of stuff is finished.  After that I'm going to take it easy on the swaps for a while.  I've got big plans to focus on- details coming soon.

Have a craftastic day!

Pin-Up Party!! Part 2

When I said this swap was a huge success, I meant it.  I saw lots of lovely ladies being exchanged.  Want to see some more of them?  Yeah, that's what I thought.

First up, we have this beauty from Lisa of A Cuppa Tea with Me.

Then, there is this sassy lady from Carrie of The Croaking Crown.

Followed up by this sweet thang from another Carrie.  You can find more of her work here.

And last but not least, we have this sunny gal from Katy of Sew Lovely Embroidery.

Didn't all of the ladies do a fabulous job?!  One of the things I love most about swapping and sharing on-line, in general, is getting to see everyone's unique style.  The same theme but they all look do different.  Amazes me every time.

I love Pin-Ups!  So just for fun, I made a treasury on etsy. 

 Go here to check out all of the goodies!

Thanks for looking, I'm headed back to my little corner to play with needles and thread.

Playing Catch-Up.

So, there have been a few swaps that I've completed that I haven't had a chance to share with you.  Want to see?  By the way, I freaking love Swap-bot!

I made this for the "Embroidery Me a Fairy Tale" Swap.  This was a freebie pattern from doe-c-doe.

 I branched out a bit with this gem.  I was happy to find out that it survived the journey to South Africa.  Thank you, E6000, I love you!

On to the "Embroidery in Red" Swap.  Using a pattern available in the Space Case set from Sew Lovely Embroidery.  My partner hated pink, so it was a nice challenge to use only dark reds to pull this one off.  Love the way it turned out though.

Then there is this lovely lady, for the "Non-Cutesy Mermaid ATC" Swap.  Her tail is on a brad, so it swings inward to fit the dimensions of a true ATC.  Yeah, her arm hangs off but I didn't have the heart to cut it off a Sailor Jerry girl, so I told the future owner to do it with out telling me...if it bothered her.  I found out it doesn't...yay!

Most recently I completed the "Embroider Anything" Swap.  I made this patch, again with another Sew Lovely Embroidery pattern.  I love those gal's stuff...sew much!  The second pic is a truer representation of color, I don't know what happened with the first photo.

Well, that's everything so far, expect a lot more though.  I'm currently signed up for 3 embroidery swaps on Swap-bot alone.  Then there is the other crafty swaps and another stitchy one on Flickr...I'm going to be a busy girl!

Sorry about the late posts, an unseasonably cool day created a hankering for baked pasta and that stuff takes some time.  Oh, and hopefully I'll be done with the remodel soon so you guys don't have to second guess whether or not you're on the right blog.

Thanks for looking, I hope everyone had a craftastic day.

Teaser for Sam!

Today I'm going to be a bit mean.  I'm going to post a little something to torture tease poor Sam.  See, we are doing a personal swap that involves a little guesswork.  We will both embroider each other a scene and a quote from a movie and the recipient has to figure out what it is from.  Accckkkk, it's so much fun!  I love how the one I'm working on right now is turning out.  However, it's so obvious that it was hard to take a picture that didn't give it away.  I hope this one doesn't.

 For those of you in the know, please don't spill the beans.  The suspense of waiting for it to get to her is going to kill me, I know it.

Thanks for looking, gotta get back to stitching or these pieces will never be finished by the end of the month!  I hope you have a productive day.  I'll be back later to share my 12-pack with you...