Be My Valentine?

What does "Be My Valentine" mean for you?

Is it about romantic love in your world?

Do you celebrate?

Send cards?

Gift to my mother from Patsy Thompson of Patsy Thompson Designs

The stitching is perfection....and the fabrics....perfect harmony to achieve an energetic flow.

Do you feel the energy flowing from the thread?

The back stitching is a bit tough to see in this pix....but if you look closely you can see it...fine, delicate and echoing the time and attention given to this design....it speaks volumes to me.

Who is included in your Valentine circle?

Do you celebrate as a family?

Yes, I really want to know.....what it means for you.....and I'll share what it means to me....

The love that was put into making the wall hanging Patsy made and sent to my mother while she was very ill.....that is the love I think about for Valentines Day.  Pure love and kindness....because as humans we are capable of such amazing opportunities to reach out and touch one another.... gently, kindly and with pure love.....and I believe the more we allow that gentle love to be expressed in our daily lives to everyone we come into contact with.....the more we can see that golden cord that connects us one to the next.

Now....ask Zach, the youngest co-worker and you'll hear all about  his experience:

Yes....he wore that hat to school yesterday.....oh my!

Valentines Day means getting little paper cards and sweet treats ....and of course a break from doing school work.

It's all about perspective and your vantage point.

Smiles,

Kelly

Jean Overmeyer Makes A "Splash"

Last nights Black Swamp Quilt Guild show and tell was great!  Jean showed her latest piece, "Splash."

Her free motion quilting is excellent and I really liked the ultra suede and beading around the drop of water.  Jean uses decorative threads in many of her quilts and inspires others to try new things.

 

Our guild has been blessed with many talented quilters....they really are a great inspiration to me.

Jean will be teaching a class at the Quilt Foundry in Maumee OH on Feb. 22nd.  She will leading a class on making very fun mittens.  If you are local....its a Sunday and I think Jean is an excellent teacher....sign up before the class fills up.

Smiles,

Kelly

Blue Heart

(Embroidery Design by Urban Threads)

If you are a long time blog follower you know Waldo...my dear friend Rosemary.  Her husband, Mr. Charlie, passed away night before last and my heart is blue.  Rosemary and Mr. Charlie had their 58th wedding anniversary last week. 

I was able to be with them earlier in the day....a blessing.   This is the link to this wonderful man's obituary: http://www.walkerfuneralhomes.com/obituary/dr-charles-f-kahle/

Blue Smiles,

Kelly

The Borders Are Finally On

I say finally because this one has taken me some time to actually put my mind to getting those borders on.

You may recall this post (click here) where I showed Mary Jane's last quilt.  It was a Pennsylvania Block Quilt and she titled it "Coming Home."  My girlfriends in PA did a block exchange and I wasn't able to participate but one of the gals, Eleanor, shared a set of blocks with me.  I put them together but then I put the top on a shelf.  The more I sewed the sadder I got....I missed my girlfriend and the grief wouldn't seem to ease.

I found a new way to sew with Mary Jane.....

I put her picture on her machine and now we sew together and chat :)  She encourages me to finish my projects just like she always did and I'm feeling a little better these days.

The snow continues to fall and I tried to capture how beautiful it is when it is all white outside....

This was last evening and you can't really see all the snow falling....but it was coming down again.

I saw someone on a neighboring street that looked like they were stuck at the entrance of their driveway so I backed up and inquired.  Sure enough....they had driven into a snow bank and couldn't get out.  I hopped out of my car and shoveled the bank and then pushed their car and they were able to get up their driveway.  Come to find out the man was in a car accident a few weeks back and has an injury and he couldn't help his wife....so glad I stopped.  He said there wasn't much the doctors could do for him.  This morning I was thinking....it is always best to call a quilter when in need....right?  RIGHT!  I made him this:

No, it isn't a pillow....but it looks like one....giggles

It is a 7 x 10 rice bag with some lavender inside to microwave and put on his back.  Maybe it will help....if not....kindness always makes people feel better.  

Snowy Smiles,

Kelly

Valentine Gift and Snow

I made a small wall hanging recently to give to Zach's teacher. She is one of those "special" teachers that a child never forgets.

I stitched out the heart design ( Urban Threads) on white fabric and then added the borders.  A wise person might have quilted the background first.  I started quilting and decided to take the borders off.

Unfortunately I used a very small stitch length and it was very difficult to remove the stitches so I opted for cutting off the border.  You can see in the photo above a bit of the fabric remained.  Good thing I own all the best tools because I was able to get that line of fabric off with the tip of my Seam Fix and Famore Micro Fine Tweezers.  All I did was pull a bit at the fabric with the tweezers and then rub with the tip of the Seam Fix and all of that fabric came off.  If you can believe this....the white Kona fabric didn't fray :)

Nice to be able to get all those threads out.  I didn't bother with those that would be beyond the border.

The wrinkles in the fabric will come out with  a bit of steam.  I put a extra layer of wool batting just behind the heart so it would pop and then I used my regular sewing machine to go over some of the stitch lines to give extra dimension.  A bit difficult to see in the photo but I think it came out nice. 

You might be able to see the dimension a bit better in this photo.

The Seam Fix and Famore Micro Fine Tweezers are available at I Have A Notion, Inc (IHAN)and below are the links if you are interested.

Famore Micro Fine Tweezers-
http://ihavea-notion.com/store/item_2838/Famore-Micro-Fine-Tweezers-3-12-in..htm
Seam Fix Mini-
http://ihavea-notion.com/store/item_3633/Mini-Seam-Fix.htm
Seam Fix Pink
http://ihavea-notion.com/store/item_3493/Seam-Fix-Pink.htm
Seam Fix Teal
http://ihavea-notion.com/store/item_3494/Seam-Fix-Teal.htm

How about all that snow we are getting here in Ohio?  I'm a snow lover so you won't hear me complain.  The boys have been out of school and today had a two hour delay.

 

All 4 of us shoveled our driveway and front walk 4 times on Sunday....yep.....4 times.  It was a ball!  The neighbors all use snow blowers and the boys always ask why we don't have one.  I say the same thing every time....until we can no longer use our arms and legs we'll continue to use a shovel to remove our snow....they roll their eyes....giggles.

Yesterday I took them and a friend sledding at a local hill.  The wind was so cold it was burning our faces but the kids didn't seem to mind very much.

Good thing I remembered our thermos of hot chocolate.....oh what a good time we had.

Cold Smiles,

Kelly

Breaking My Silence

I don't believe I need to post until I have something noteworthy to say....and I've been enjoying my retreat and honoring my silence.  Now....I have something to say.....sinister grins :)

A dear friend, Jean from Jean Creates, recently had foot surgery and it wasn't that long ago that I underwent two surgeries on my ankle so I can definitely understand what a woman would appreciate at a time like this.

If you are 50 or over, you probably already have guessed what I made and sent to her....a "Let It Go" just in case tinkle pad for her chair/sofa.  Yep....I figured she just might feel the urge and need to go quickly to the ladies room to powder her nose....if she didn't make it fast enough....the powder could be absorbed and not ruin her lovely furniture.    I used two pieces of fleece that I had embroidered, a piece of water/powder proof soft lining and serged around the edges.  The goal was to make her laugh and I think I succeeded.

A few weeks back when I was looking out the window at the beautiful snow  I happened to also look down inside the window sill...YIKES. 

Dust, dirt and yes even webs of sorts....not very pretty that's for sure.

 I keep this Micro Vacuum Attachment Kit (available at I Have A Notion, Inc.) near my sewing machine but it works great for all those other hard to reach places including appliances, computers, heat vents etc.  

I attached it to my vacuum hose and quickly got rid of those webs and other unmentionables hanging around in there.  My life isn't always exciting you know.....and I'm guessing yours isn't either!  LOL

On a recent trip to IKEA I found this 6 drawer metal stand....perfect for my embroidery threads!

My only regret is not buying 2. 

I use this one for my embroidery threads, I could use one for my sewing threads as well. It could be said I have tried every thread storage solution out there....and I have liked them.....but what I like best about this solution is it also fits under my sewing tables so I could keep it tucked away if I wanted to.  No labels yet....that isn't so important to me now...but keeping the dust off is :)

My days are not only filled with concerns about powder and dust....I also have some prime entertainment around here!  A bit of a backdrop....there was a fair at Aaron's school recently and the prizes included small plastic toys, rings and kazoos.  Aaron was very taken with the brightly colored plastic rings and he loves wearing them.....what a free spirit he is and I can definitely relate.

Oh and did I mention for a ticket he could get a face painting...ROFL....I do love him so and pray he keeps his joyful spirit for all the days of his life.

The next day he came downstairs and started singing and dancing around wearing all of his rings aka bling.  I could not resist.....please don't ever tell him I shared this video.....I just think it is way too good not to share the laughter and joy with others.

Big Joyful Smiles, Kelly

A Gentle Retreat

I'm not talking about a sewing retreat this morning, I'm referring to a gentle retreat into my surrounds...taking time to NOTICE that which makes my world so special and beautiful.

The boys have only had three days of school since the beginning of the year because of weather conditions.  There have been no complaints at our house....we have all retreated into the warmth of our togetherness and making the most of this beautiful weather.

Monday morning school was canceled because of the snow and we relished the opportunity to go to a local snow hill to sled and enjoy the fire pit at the park.

This morning the boys answered the phone and were squealing with delight when they heard a voice tell them there was a 2 hour delay due to weather conditions.  They did not identify the voice on the other end of the phone as their fathers....ROFL.  Adults prank calling kids....a turn of the tables and it got lots of laughter out of me this morning.  How could they be so gullible?  Giggles

The house got quiet as those gullible little people headed out for school....I sat and looked out the window at the amazing snow.  I thought to myself....how can I capture this magnificent beauty?  Pictures don't always capture what I see with my eye (guess I could learn more about the cameras I own ay?)  Well....I gave it my best and this is what I captured to share with you today:

The close ups of the snow is what I was trying to get....the tiny snow flakes layered on a berry or branch....so beautiful and it is just outside my window....I'm so very grateful.

Something else I'm grateful for is YouTube because I have learned to crochet by watching tutorials posted there.  At long last I have made something larger than a dishcloth....wild laughter.

This started as a prayer shawl that was to be given back to the church who gave me one when my mother was ill.  I found the gift of a prayer shawl so very loving and comforting.  As you can see, it started so nicely....look from the bottom of the picture up about 1/2 way...nice and even...a little decorative stitch at the bottom...nice ay?  Please don't ask me what happened after that....I can not explain.  However...I can laugh and could not stop laughing when I laid it out to take a picture.  A perfectly imperfect shawl to keep someone warm....gotta love it.

Check out the uniqueness of each of the ends:

 I learned a very long time ago to count it all good....and this shawl is indeed GOOD :)  So good as a matter of fact that I have mailed it to my cousin because I know for sure she will treasure it and recognize the love that has been stitched into the shawl.  When she opens the box I guarantee she will let out a howl (laughter) and then wrap herself in it and stay warm in Washington State this winter.

Lets hope I've learned from my "practice"....no calling it mistakes....as I have started an afghan.  Scary thought isn't it?

 No I have not stopped quilting or sewing....as a matter of fact....I have gotten several projects finished recently....I'll post about those soon. 

Smiles,
Kelly

Back to Life

Well, I've had an amazing break these last few weeks. I promised myself that between Dec. 23 and the beginning of this new year I was going to do only those things I wanted to do or absolutely had to do and nothing else.  It was a WONDERFUL break.

I realized that I never posted the gifts we made for Christmas gifts for one another this past year.  Oops....and I didn't take pix of all of them.  But here are a few we made and have enjoyed giving.

 Aaron filled this clear bulb with mini marshmellows and then decorated the outside.  The Raindeer's face is Aaron's thumbprint.  Definitely a much treasured gift he made for me.

This was a pod for a tree that Zachary painted and gave to me.  I don't know the type of pod but I've seen them before somewhere.

The following are an assortment of holiday dish cloths I made and gave away. 

 

My sister requested some crochet dish cloths....so I made these:

Rick taught Aaron to do some carving and Aaron made his first piece...and has gifted it to himself :)

I made pillowcases and forgot to take pix of them....silly me.  I gave away three of the acrylic drink cups that I monogramed.  Here is a pix of one of them...I thought they were cute.

One of the most joyful gifts to see under our tree this year was one Zach had made for his father.  The outside of the package had the little ornament Zach made and a dollar bill taped to the package.

On the inside was this picture that he drew and colored for his father....I just loved it.  What the dollar was about I'm still not sure...but it was wonderful seeing it under our tree for a few weeks.

When Rick asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I made it very easy....I just sent him a link to exactly what I wanted....so very simple :)  I can not tell you how much joy these wind chimes have brought me.  I can hear them throughout the house and the sound is amazing.  I just took this video to share with you....ENJOY!

These are made in the US and are called Gentle Spirits by Majesty Bells.

Smiles,
Kelly