Monday, February 1, 2010

~*Creative Weekend*~

Hello Dear Friends & Happy February! I spent the final weekend of January in a flurry of creative activity... and oh did it feel G*R*E*A*T! Last week I finished charting up the two cross stitch, market releases... including mailing charts and models to the distributors to show in their display... so the weekend was deadline free. Well... sort of. Most of what I'm working on are very belated birthday gifts... I really can be such a terrible friend. I cross stitched, needlepunched, and sewed dolly bodies. Our home is in total shambles with snippets of threads and scraps of fabric scattered about... mingling with the dust that is always present. In fact, I thought about taking pictures of my many work spaces ~ kind of like Where Women Create ~ but tee hee... you surely wouldn't be impressed!

So, instead, I bundled up some of the goodies in some cheapy, spray~painted baskets...


Ya, I know you can't see much with everything crammed in the basket, but they are for gifts. I can't share them all.

I will share this one more though...


I stitched this from a Stacy Nash pattern ~ Hands to Work Pinkeep Pillow. Of course, I didn't have all the floss numbers that she used... and since it wasn't possible to get to the store for more... I substituted. It worked, I think. I stitched with two over two on prairie cloth. The backing is a reproduction calico... and I filled it with woolly snippets. It is one of my favorite finishes.

The dollies are pieced together a little different than my past ones... mostly because I was out of osnaburg. These are made from muslin, stuffed with raw cotton (one of my new favorite finds); then painted with watered~down, burnt umber acrylic; then sanded to distress. I'm still stitching the seams over by hand with linen thread. After that, they will be antiqued with walnut stain. Then dressed... and trimmed with prim~sweets. One of the things I do, and I'm not sure why... thrify maybe?... is use up a whole piece of fabric for dolly bodies at once. I don't do this with wool or calico.. but with muslin or osnaburg, I trace as many bodies that will fit on the piece and go from there. In this case, I was able to fit 7 dollies. Lucky number maybe?

Wishing you all warm smiles and a blessed start of the new month...
Betty

15 comments:

  1. Love that pinkeep, i was thinking of getting that pattern too!

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  2. Wonderful goodies Betty, as always!
    Love your SN pinkeep. Isn't it fun stitching on prairie cloth? It goes quickly and ages up so nice. Wish I could see in that basket!! Looks like some mightly yummy goodies in there!! LOL

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  3. Oh Betty! That looks like two baskets of peaceful happiness to me!!!! And the pinkeep is gorgeous!!! Yay!!!

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  4. Such beauties!! Hard to say which one is the prettiest, they're all so nice. I love the one with lace and a ribbon.

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  5. Hi Betty,
    You have certainly been busy, everything turned out so nice I especially like the pinkeep! Can you buy the prairie cloth at Jo-Anns? I love to pick some up tomorrow if it's there!

    Rondell

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  6. Thanks to all of you :)

    Rondell, nope... I'm pretty sure you can't get prairie cloth at JoAnn's. I ordered mine several years ago over the internet from Homespun Hearth.

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  7. Don't ya love weekends like that?!! Everything is just beautiful...as usual! Really like that SN pinkeep and I esp like your little dolls! Do you by chance offer that in pattern form?! lol

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  8. Wonderful pieces, you have been busy.
    I want to do some cross stitch, just need to find soft material with big holes, lol.

    Debbie

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  9. Beatufiful pieces Betty! I'm really liking that xstitch pattern myself! You sure were a busy bee. don't you just love days like that? Sure wish there were more of them!

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  10. I love the pinkeep! It's beautiful. Evidently, the substitutions worked well.

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  11. You have been a busy bee. The pinkeep turned out so nice.

    Thank you for the link you sent on rug hooking. Lots of good information!

    Have a great week!

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  12. What a productive weekend. I love those. Your pinkeep turned out just wonderful. I have the pattern, but just haven't found the time for it.
    I think I may just need to make time.
    Smiles,
    Nan

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  13. Wow Betty have you ever been busy! Wonderful baskets of goodies you did have a productive weekend! Hope all of you are stay warm and cozy! :)Ginger

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