I posted my update on the Step by Step Stitchalong blog. I am not a lot farther along, but I did get some more stitching done on this. The bowl part had lots of changes of color so that is slowing me down a bit. Once I get to the apples it should go faster. There are larger blocks of one color in the apples.

One thing about belonging to the Step by Step Stitchalong blog, it is definitely helping me to stay on top of this project which is one of those long overdue unfinished projects I had going.

Happy Stitching!

Crafting with Plarn

Plarn.

What is that?

I learned about this from Suzie over at Suzie Button Creations.

Suzie is one of the first bloggers I met when I started blogging. She caught my eye because she is a live captioner. I was so surprised to meet someone who actually does captioning. As a hearing impaired person I rely on captioning to understand what is happening on the TV. If something is not captioned, then I am usually lost and out of the loop.

Anyway, Suzie is doing this new thing and posting about the interesting things she hears about while doing captioning. This week she told us about Plarn.

Plarn?

Using plastic bags as yarn. Suzie gives us a link on how to use plastic bags as yarn. I found a project I want to try. But first I need some plarn.

Here is a bag. I need to fold it lengthwise.
Here is the bag folded.

Then you cut off pieces about an inch wide or so. But discard the glued end at the bottom and the handles part at the top.

Oh uh, here comes Helmi! Jumping in to find out what I am doing now.

My plarn is growing. You have to loop it together like you would do two rubber bands to make a long string of rubber bands.

Helmi wants to help. So I give her my growing plarn ball and to keep it from rolling all over the place.

Uh....Neabear....I starting to get buried under this plarn ball.

That is ok Helmi. It is not heavy. Just keep holding it for me.

I've Been Tagged!

Susan over at Homespun Quilts tagged with this photo game on this blog. This one is from my 6th folder and it is the 6th picture. At first I thought uh-oh, what if it is a picture I should not be posting. But I lucked out it is this one! This picture is from Thanksgiving in 2006. This is before I was really into blogging. This is the extra table that we have in the family room. We were seating 14 that year. Eight sat in the dining room and six sat here. The food was served on my breakfast bar. The room does not look like this anymore. The two white cabinets are now in the office/sewing room. A bookcase is on the left wall. The couch is further to the left and the recliner chair is on the other end there. The table is kept in a circle next to that wall there. And currently it is a big mess there again. I need to do a major cleanup job here.

It was sure clean and neat here. But that was because company was coming. Maybe if I pretended company was coming all the time, my house would be clean all the time. Yeah right!

I am supposed to pass this on to 6 others. But I am going to cop out on that part. It is getting to the point where I can't remember who has done this and who hasn't. So if you have not done this, grab the opportunity to now.

I see when blog browsing, some have done 4th folder, 4 picture and 5 folder, 5 th picture. Good thing I am not doing those folders and pictures. Both of those have pictures of people I would want to ask first before posting their picture. I imagine this will keep going around continuing with other folders. We know many of us have lots of folders, right?

Happy Thursday and happy crafting. Gotta go to work. Wish I could stay home and craft, sew and maybe starting cleaning my family room.

Helmi is at it again!

I was ironing last night when I heard this muffled sound coming from the direction of the laundry basket. It kind of sound like someone was saying "Help". I go digging in the pile of clothes in the laundry basket. You can see a bit of my pink fabric there. That project I am keeping mum about.
Helmi! What are you doing in the laundry basket? How did you get buried in there?
I was taking a snooze in this comfy pile when someone dumped more crap on me.
Wasn't me. Must have been hubby who did that and forgot to look when he dropped the pile on you. And Helmi...that was not crap that was dumped on you!
Next time look first.
Well, Helmi, next time don't snooze there!

What are you doing Neabear?
I am ironing.
Can I help?
Well, the iron is a little big for you and it gets very hot. You can watch.

Can I watch from here?
No, I might still bump you accidently with the hot iron.

You can watch from up here on my button jar shelf.

Don't let me fall!

You won't. Just hang on to the jars. See they have those non-skid square thingys under them.

What are you ironing now Neabear? Is that one of the pink fabrics?

Yes it is.

The one that you are not telling anyone what you are making?

Right!

And I did get some more cross stitching done despite Helmi's antics here.

Helmi Meets My Craft and Sewing Mess!

On my main blog I posted about our beautiful drive. But before we did that we went to the fabric store and to Starbuck's after church. Helmi was upset we didn't take her along. Oooooh! Pretty fabric Neabear! What are you going to do with this pink stuff?

That is for me to know and for you to find out.

You mean you are not going to tell me.

Nope, nada, no how!

Neabear, you are one big tease!!
I know.

Helmi! What are you doing? Get out of that bag before you suffocate.

I wanted to see what else is in here.

Well, get back out of there and I will show you.

Oh, what are these?

These are some fat quarters that were on sale. And some bias tape I need for a project.

What are you going to do with the fat quarters?
I have not decided yet.

Then why did you buy them?

So I would have them if inspiration struck.

See how they look spread out on your lap. Pretty huh?

Yes I like these. So what are you going to make with these?

I told you I don't know yet. Maybe you can help me decide what to make with them.

But first I need to prewash all this fabric.

Why?

Sigh...Helmi you are so full of questions!

Here Helmi, you can help me put the fabric in the washer along with the other stuff I am washing.

Ok, but why are you prewashing the fabrics?

Helmi, this fabric is 100% cotton. I need to preshrink it so that it doesn't shrink after I make my project.

I see. I think. After all, I am new to this stuff. You have kept me guarding that bear box all these years. Now I don't know what is what around here.

Helmi, get back out of the washer! I can't start it with you in there. You would drown!

But I want to see what happens when it starts.

You will in a moment. Now get out of the washer please.

Now Helmi, this is where I put the detergent. I use the liquid kind that is labeled "he".

Why "he"?

Because that is what you are supposed to use for a front loader machine?

Why?

That is what the instructions say. That's why!

See, the door has a window in it. You can see the water coming in now. It is bubbly because of the detergent we put in there.

Come on now Helmi. I need to get busy on my cross stitch. I joined this Step by Step Stitch Along blog and I need to do some stitching so I can post my progress. We do our progress posts on Sundays and I have not done any yet!
What is this? Does not look like cross stitch to me even though I see sort of a cross there.
That is the bag I keep my cross stitch in when I am not working on it.
Gee, it is a pretty bag.
Yes. Thank you Helmi. My aunt made it many years ago. She gave it to my grandmother. Now I have it. She made one for me too. It has some other project in it.

Helmi, these are my instructions.
What is the yellow part there?
That is the part I have already done. I highlight the parts I have finished. Otherwise it gets very confusing.
Helmi! Now what are you doing? I need that!
Well, what is this crazy contraption?
That is my magnifiers. My eyes are not what they used to be and I need them to see the small stitches.
Well, how does that work?

Here, I'll put them on and show you.
I see. Makes you look weird.
Thanks, Helmi. I don't wear them out in public.
Oh, good thing.

Neabear, what is this box thingy?
Helmi, I can't concentrate on my stitching if you keep asking questions.
But I am curious and I don't know what this box thingy is for.
Ok...ok. That is the box I keep my floss in.
Floss??? You floss your teeth with all this?
No, no, no...that kind of floss is in the bathroom. This is embroidery floss. I am doing my cross stitch with this floss.
I see.
I'm glad you see Helmi.
Uh oh. The washer stopped. Now we need to put the stuff in the dryer.
You can come and help me Helmi.
Oh goody!

Helmi, get out of the dryer!! You don't belong in there. The wet clothes do. And my fabric.

I see.

Now we need to get back to the cross stitching.

Ok.

Helmi. What are you doing now?

I don't know.

I need that thingy to upload my pictures onto the computer.

Oh...ok. Here you go.

Believe it or not. I did get some stitching done. That white on white part is what I got done. Maybe next time I can get more done. That is if Helmi doesn't keep interrupting me with all her questions.

Silly Helmi!

If you want to check out the Step by Step Stitchalong blog, click here.

Apple Bowl Cross Stitch Project

I have decided to join the group at the 2009 Step by Step Stitchalong. I found this blog through a series of links starting with I don't remember who. Anyway, I figure this is what I need to do to finish my unfinished Apple Bowl Cross Stitch project. I don't remember exactly when I started this. But I started it after I moved to where we now live and we have been here 6 years. So it was sometime since we moved here. I have started an apple theme in my kitchen and there is a wall where this would look awesome. But I need to finish it to have it look awesome there. Right? So here goes. This picture shows how far I am currently. This part is the bowl.

This picture is what is it is supposed to look like when I finish it. I will probably want to frame it similiar to the way it is framed here. But that is yet to be seen.

This is where I found the pattern. This magazine was in my godmother's things. I am glad I kept it. This is the July/August 1992 issue. Which means this issue is going on to be 17 years old! Whoa! I can't believe it is that old already. There are other things I would like to make in this issue too. Maybe.

Blue Monday #16A

Here we are at Blue Monday again! Thank you to Sally over at Smiling Sally for hosting this wonderful Blue Monday for us. Be sure to hop on ever there and visit other who are participating in Blue Monday today.
I use to do a fair amount of tole painting. The above picture is a house I did as part of the class I had taken when I was learning the craft. I surprised myself at how well it turned out. I usually display it in the living room.

This is a candle holder. You can barely see where the hole is on the left top part of the heart shape. This has some blue flowers so I included it in the post for today. I had made a couple of these as gifts at the time I did them. I still have unfinished tole painting projects I had intended to do, but never finished because life got in the way. Actually it was working and going to school at the same time that did it. But now that we are empty nesters, this is something I keep hoping I will get back too. I don't know how popular the craft is now, but even if it is not, that will not stop me from going back to it.
Happy Blue Monday!!

Pink Saturday #17

Yay! It is Pink Saturday again. Thank you to Beverly of How Sweet the Sound for hosting this for us every week. That is definitely a big job.
If what I am sharing is something I have made then I share it on this blog. Plus it is a sneaky way to get some of you to come visit this blog now and then. Heehee.
So what do I have here. An ewe and her lamb. This was one of those printed panel projects that you cut out and put together. This is another one of those things I have had for a number of years now. There are dowels in the legs which helps to keep the shape and keep them from collapsing.

Another view of the same thing. Happy Pink Saturday to every one. Thanks for visiting.

Whatcha Working on Wednesday #2

I have kind of a different Whatcha Working on Wednesday this time. After the play I posted about on my main blog, we brought our niece home to work on a project. Actually she asked after the rehearsal on Friday if I could help her with a project. After putting our heads together and asking her mother, we decided to do it Sunday. She had gotten this Build-A-Bear kit for Christmas and was a little confused about how to put it together. I guess it was decided in her family that Aunt Nea was the person to ask about this.

This pictures shows the Birth Certificate and the clothing items. That reminds me of the Cabbage Patch dolls and how the came with birth certificates. Anyone remember those?

The bear comes partially put together. The head is already finished, but the body is not. After showing my niece who is 12 years old how to start she works on it on her own.

Another picture of her working on it. The kit came with a safe sewing needle that was plastic and also came with some floss to use to sew it closed. The holes to sew the body together were prepunched.

When she finished her stitching, I looked it over and tightened up some of her stitching so the stuffing would not come oozing out. Then I let her do her own stuffing. Then she holds the bear while I stitch it firmly closed to keep the stuffing inside where it belongs.

The birth certificate has a place for height and weight. So we stretch the bear out from head to toe to get the height measurement, about 11 inches. Then we use our postage scale to weigh her. We discover she is 3 pounds 6 ounces. So niece writes that all down on the certificate, including the date we made her, it is a girl bear, eye color, fur color, owner's name and of course the bears name too. Niece decided to name her bear Rose.

The clothing came without the embellishments attached but came with the embellishments to embellish the outfit. Does that make sense? I hope so because I am not going to rewrite that part. Anyway, Niece shows me where she what she wants where and I do the ironing on part. The ribbon and the butterflies were iron on things. The butterfly on the right on the shirt was being stubborn and would not stay on very well. So after searching around in my stuff, Niece helped, I finally found some stitch witchery, I think it is called, and used that to help iron down the stubborn butterfly. The kit came with fabric paint, so Niece did that part.

Here is Rose all finished. The outfit is not on her yet because the fabric paint was still wet and we did not want to get that glittery stuff all over everywhere. We very carefully took the outfit back to Niece's house when we took her back home.

I found out later from my mother that Niece really enjoyed hanging out with me and working on the project with my help. I enjoyed that time with Niece too. Now I need to come up with things to do with her brother and sister and spend one-on-one time with them too.

Makes me wish my granddaughter lived close enough so I can do some crafting time with her too, especially after she gets a little older. She is only 2 and 1/2 right now. And incidently, we gave her a Build-a-Bear gift card when we found out she loves that place. Here is a picture of granddaughter Shaylee with her now Ballerina Bunny which is what she picked out to do on her trip to Build-a-Bear.
Click here to see more of her trip to Build-a-Bear using the gift card we gave her. Wish we could have been there.