Claim the name

A quick post to claim my name in Bloglovin'
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A new day.

So much talk about why we stop blogging brought me here.  It sure took some commitment, too!  Figuring out how I used to log-in took a whole lot of time.  My blog was gone from my dashboard so 'we' had to do some recovery work. 

Note to self:  the reason Blogger and/or Google ask for your cell number to verify your account is not a scam to get their hands on your cell number!  GIVE IT!  This process would have been so much easier.  However, my incredibly inaccurate answers to their questions still yielded me my blog.  I don't know if that's a comfort or not.  Knowing that my Google account could be verified with rough estimates of what the answers must be is kind of scary.  I guess maybe they aren't worried about a 50 year old women's blathering about sewing, reading, kids, etc.  Or, maybe I got one key element correct giving them the confidence they needed to let me in. 

Anyhow, back to why we quit blogging.  I suspect we all have our reasons.  I feel like...been there, done that...who wants to read about that again?  However, I DO LIKE reading similar things on other blogs.  Someone also mentioned facebook.  I don't do, and will probably never do, facebook.  I think it is the way you have to 'friend' people.  I want to just link or google or accidentally discover blogs.  I also prefer a certain degree of anonymity.  I don't want my boss* reading about my exploits.  I know...don't 'friend' your boss but we are friends in the real world but don't share the same passion for sewing.  I guess I'd prefer to keep some things separate. 

*change 'boss' to just about any other person and you'll start to understand why facebook isn't for me.

So, why am I back now?  Two things happened that brought me back.  Well, two reasons besides the recent discussion I had with my blogging friends about making an effort to revitalize our dead or dying blogs.  First, I was browsing around and reading blogs that I don't normally read and came across a post where the author talked about deleting dead blogs out of her reading list and my first thought, with great sadness, was whether she deleted mine or not.  Then my aunt mentioned how much she missed reading it.  That was another sad realization that maybe one blog wasn't so easily replaced by one of the millions of other blogs out there. 

I thought and thought about it and decided that I should try one last time before letting it go completely.  The trick will be getting my blog back out there.  I will need to go claim my name on Bloglovin' and maybe see if my blogging friends will let people know I'm alive and posting again. It is no fun writing posts and having nobody read.

After all that...I've run out of time and need to get out the door for work.

Say it aint so, Joe.

I think the writing is on the wall.  While I'm not ready to let my blog die, I am also not really interested in posting these days.

You've seen it before...there seems to be a life span to the average blog.  A whole lot of the blogs I read regularly are fizzling out.  I don't have a ton of interest in reading blogs, either.  I still check out my regulars via my Dashboard...and even comment here and there however, I don't go looking for new blogs to read.

I will leave my blog up.  Add me to your reader or blogs you follow on blogger and maybe I'll pop up with a post.  Never say never.

Thanks for a fun time.

Pam

Block of the month.

My Little Red Barn block of the month is done! 

Phew.  Getting that 5th installment around Thanksgiving and the 6th around Christmas made it tough but I kept working away. 

The 5th installment included all 4 corner chickens and the trees, fence and sheep.  The 6th included the final pieced border with all the stars. 

I am deciding about quilting.  I would like to try a shop closer to home but I'm a little nervous about using this quilt as a test dummy.  I'll have to think about it for a little bit. 

Fresh Fallen Snow

by Little House Needleworks from the 2011 Just Cross Stitch ornament issue.

I wanted to finish this one like the magazine showed but hand stitching that blanket stitch all the way around wasn't really in the cards.  That's my favorite applique finishing stitch but done using my sewing machine.  The stitches can easily slip out of place when they're hand done.  So, I did a trial run and decided that using my sewing machine would work like a charm.

First, I carefully turned under the edges and pressed into place.  Then I stitched the piece to the piece of white felt using the blanket or button hole stitch.  I used a matching green thread.

Perfect.  (Hint... cut the felt larger than needed and trim down after sewing.  That way you're not stressing over centering.)

I bought this wavy rotary blade to make the edges on the felt.

Back to the sewing machine to sew the white to the green with a straight stitch done in white.  I stitched close to the edge of the stitched piece.  These stitches don't show.  Then I trimmed the green felt and attached a piece of cording with some matching thread.

Love it.  I'm looking for other pieces that need the same method.

As promised

I have my 2011 final finishes ready for showing.

The first 2 are Lizzie Kate's.  They're just fun and festive pieces to work on during the holidays. 

This next one is Fresh Fallen Snow by Little House Needlworks from the 2011 Just Cross Stitch magazine.  It's stitched with DMC 3865 and GA's Forrest Glade.  Loved the colors.  I just wish these designs (a general sweeping statement about the ornament issue) were proofed a little better.  There were 2 mistakes.... I caught one and didn't notice the other until I was done.  The sample in the magazine is done correctly so SOMEONE had the correct pattern.  (The first mistake is that one of the snow flakes in the lower left is charted with the wrong symbol.  The second is in the bottom right snow flake.  There is an extra stitch in the part that would point to 1:00 on a clock.  I declined to pick it out and fix it.)

 This next one is also from the JCS 2011 ornament issue. Little by Little Design Company's Joy of the Snowflake.  Hardly looks like the original, right?  Love the pattern but hate the original colors.  Who wants brown like that at Christmas?  So, it's stitched on a festive red fabric using Vicky Clayton silks.  Referring to my sweeping statement about the magazine above.... what the heck is going on with that border??? OMG.  Is that a slap-dash job or what????  I switched mine around a little so it had more eye appeal then ended up leaving a gap in the bottom left corner where my initials are.  (In my typical attempt at anonymity.... They're further obscured by my scissors.) 

So, that's it for my holiday stitching.  I am back to working on a couple large WIP's.  I'm not taking on any New Year's challenges however I am kind of watching this one with interest.  I really like watching people stitch large pieces.  There once was a time when that's ALL I DID.  I have many large patterns in my 'to be stitched' basket and fully intend to invest the time in stitching them.  First, I'd like to feel like I have less in that basket so I don't feel pressured to work, work, work on finishing things. 

I hope I don't drive you all nuts with too many background changes.  This has proven to be a hard time of year to settle on one design.  This newest one is labeled as a Christmas one but, in my neck of the woods, snow and a few red berries will be about all there is to see out the windows. 

Can't say I'm sad to see it go.

There really are pictures coming of my latest finishes.  Photographing them seems to be a challenge. 

In the mean time, the revelry continues.  We welcomed in the New Year at a party last night and soon we will be going to a New Year's Day brunch.  First, however, I must bake something to take.

Hope you're having a good one.