Made with Love

Greeting friends! Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today. I find myself sitting down to write this post shortly after midnight. Yes, we are still on a night schedule at our house - and yes, it is still challenging. Really (if I am being honest), life as a whole is extremely challenging right now. These late nights have been hard on me mentally, but good for my productivity - no interruptions in the middle of the night is definitely good for getting things done. In fact, I have been so productive, that I finally made the tough decision to start selling many of my one-of-a-kind sewing creations and models. I have been slowly adding single pieces to my Etsy shop...this will give me room to create more! I have a few favorite items that I am holding on to, and I have gifted MANY pieces over the years, but my pile has been steadily growing...and in this difficult economic climate (running a small business isn't always the best financial decision, as my husband has been reminding me), I decided it was time to part with some of my special pieces. Many of the totes and zipper bags have sold (but there are still a few, as of this writing) and I have now started posting my one-of-a-kind pincushions. I am still thinking on my pillows and quilts. I just know I can't use them all...and the joy is in the creating, not the storing...so it is time to do a little spring summer cleaning...and I am hoping I can find good and loving homes for my creative works. If you are interested in any of my special "made with love" pieces, keep an eye on my Etsy Shop: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com - I am adding pieces as time allows.

I have also been working on and listing more Stitch Starter Ruler and Sleeve Sets and I have some patchwork project bags in progress that will be listed later this week. 

On the designing front - for quilters and sewists, I am putting the finishing touches on several new quilt patterns (including my Halloween Star Quilt)...and for my cross stitch fans, I have three new cross stitch models in the works. It has been harder to balance it all lately - I find myself working on projects that pay the bills and not the creative endeavors/new designs I want to explore...which is another reason life feels so challenging right now. It is all making me a bit emotional and frustrated.

I do have new Poppie Cotton pieces to share a week from Friday (July 5th) for the Cottage Charm Fabric Tour...here is a peek at this new fabric collection I snapped before I cut into it...

...and I do have a new Therm O Web project tutorial in thought progress for July. I just got the schedule and themes for next month, and my post will be on the Therm O Web Blog on July 17th...

I will finish up this post on a happy note...here is a fun, short video/Reel I created with some of my special pincushions...this is the version I have on my YouTube channel, but for the best version (because of the music and video timing), view my Reel on Instagram. I have to change music for YouTube to follow copyright guidelines.

Have a happy and creative week!

Wool Felted Acorns

Greetings friends - I'm stopping by today to share a little bit about my latest creative project for my Etsy shop - wool felted acorns! If you keep up with my blog, then you know I recently returned from northern Illinois, where I visited my momma and second dad - they have a lovely lakeside property with quite a few oak trees. While I was visiting, I helped clean up piles and piles of acorns...and I had the idea to collect and bring home some of the caps. I brought home three large Ziploc bags full. I had a master plan to make wool felted acorns for my Etsy shop. I explained the idea to my parents, who I am pretty sure thought I was a bit crazy...but after seeing the final product, I think they were impressed. I washed and roasted all the caps, to clean and preserve them...then added 100% New Zealand wool for the "nuts". Aren't they just the cutest?! You can find them here: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com

I have started listing them in my Etsy shop in sets of ten. Colors and sizes vary per listing – see listing images for more specific details. Most acorns have an average size of ⅝” – 1” in diameter and/or height, but as you can see in the images, some may be a bit smaller or larger. Due to the handmade nature and the natural acorn caps, there will be some minor variation in size.

Packages may contain single acorns, double acorns, or triple acorns – again, see images for the exact acorns in each listing. Created by Mother Nature, each cap is unique.

These are great for tiered trays, bowl fillers, nature/fall table decor, fall weddings or gifts. Can be used as a special pin or needle keep (my favorite use!). Perfect for seasonal decor through fall and winter… even year round. Use these wool felted acorns throughout your home to welcome the season, decorate for a wedding or special occasion, or give as a gift. Use them from year to year.

Each set of these delicate acorns is packaged carefully and boxed for shipping. Ready for gift giving.

I will continue to add more sets, as my schedule allows...visit my Etsy shop to see what is currently available...

The Holiday Rush and Wrap Up

Greetings friends - happy Wednesday! I am struggling to believe we are in the final few days of 2021 - for me, this year went by in a whirlwind. Things have felt almost out of control since my last post - but I think November and December feel that way for most.

I would like to thank everyone for the happy and positive response to my 2021 cross stitch Christmas ornament design! I really enjoy seeing all the "My Frosty Friend" finishes on social media and appreciate the kind notes and comments sent my way. To those of you who visited my shop or used the Buy Me A Coffee link (I replied to all of you personally) - I can't thank you enough - I am very grateful for your support.💗

On a personal level, we had a lovely Christmas. Since moving to Kansas City, my husband and I have started a few new traditions. For those of you who don't know, my husband is in management for UPS (the reason we moved to Kansas) and he always works on Christmas Eve...so when he gets home that night, we drive down to the Plaza to see the Christmas lights. The first year, it was almost 10:00 PM and the only place we could find open downtown was the Cheesecake Factory - so we stopped in, had a cocktail and appetizer and then walked around the Plaza area. This ritual has stuck around, so for the 3rd year I can't believe this was our 3rd Christmas in Kansas), we visited the Plaza, had a light late-night meal at the Cheesecake Factory (luckily, I had made reservations way in advance, because it was 65 degrees - unbelievable for December in the Midwest - and the Plaza was packed), then drove around and looked at some of the best light displays in the KC area. The photos below are my favorite houses. On Christmas Eve day, I watch our neighbor's dog Gus (a super sweet Golden Retriever)…they were kind enough to leave me a tray of fresh cinnamon rolls ready to rise and bake for Christmas morning - how thoughtful was that?! So, Christmas morning, we slept in - then had hot, fresh cinnamon rolls and French press coffee. That afternoon, we went to the movie theater, another Christmas tradition, to see a movie - this year we saw Spider-Man: No Way Home (which was excellent!). After the movie, we went home for our traditional Christmas dinner of flatbread pizza and wine. We also exchanged gifts and I opened a couple special packages that arrived from dear faraway friends. A wonderful, relaxing holiday.

As always, I made quite a few holiday gifts this year. I did a lot of sewing and quilting this year and I'll post a few photos below. I always enjoy making gifts for those in my life who appreciate them. I also took a few stress reliever evenings and made some small items, just to give myself a break - I made a mug rug and a pin cube that I adore - plus, a fabric bowl to hold my pin boxes and tomato pincushion...

I have been keeping busy with my Etsy shop (creating/sewing more items and slowly adding PDF versions of my classic cross stitch patterns), finishing several client orders, and working on new cross stitch designs (details coming soon). Here are just a few photos of projects I have been working on (as always, the cross stitch pieces shown below are for a client - they are just my finishing work, not my stitching or my designs)…

Over the last month, I spent several days helping my local quilt shop with inventory - I also took a quilt class and attended an open sew day (both firsts since we made the move and it has been enjoyable to meet other quilters/stitchers in the area). On a fun note - I will be teaching a quilt class for The Quilted Sunflower - the class will be for my Pretty Posies Pouch! We are still finalizing the details and a date with The Creative Place where it will be held, but as soon as I have definitive details, I will be sure to share them. The class fee will include the pattern and the hardware for the wrist strap and the class will be held on a Saturday. We have discussed future classes, as well, so I hope this one is well-received. Bottom photo below is of longarm bobbin containers gifted to me by my LQS owner and friend - they work perfectly for storing small items in my studio!

If  don't make it back for another post before 2022, thank you for spending another creative year with me! It is an incredible blessing to have stitching and quilting friends from all over the world that allow me to pursue my passion. Thank you for supporting my small business, encouraging me, and sharing my love of all things needle and thread.