Rednesday/Whatcha Working on Wednesday

I am doing a double linking post today.

I recently found out about Red Wednesday which is called Rednesday.

over at The Secret Garden is our host for Rednesday each week.

I have RED in my post today so I decided to participate in that meme.

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Also I am thankful for Leslie and her Whatcha Working on Wednesday meme.

This is helping me to stay busy with my projects so I have something new to post

each week. You can see more at Leslie's place.

My Country Home.

As I have done each week,

here is an update on my cross stitch project.

We post every Sunday on the Stitch Along Blog.

This is my progress as of Sunday.

The highlights on the apples are getting filled in there.

I did have to do some unpicking again this week.

Grrr!

I hope I make no more mistakes.

I need to make sure that I am not too tired when I am working on this one.

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My other major project I am currently working on

is the Christmas Wish BOM.

The designs are from

Gail Pan Designs.

You can find out more my clicking on the LOVE

block in my sidebar.

Blogger is giving me issues loading the pictures here.

The picture is the right direction in my picture folder on my computer.

But it still upload turned.

This is the first time this happened to me.

So I have no idea what is going on here.

This block is almost finished.

Another picture going the wrong way.

What is the matter with Blogger anyway?

This is the next block I will be working on.

I have finished tracing the design on to it

using my lightbox to make it easier to

see the pattern under the block.

Now this picture loaded correctly.

I am getting ready to apply stablizer on more blocks and then

trace the design.

My hubby and I are delegates to a church convention this coming weekend.

We leave tomorrow after work for a 4 hour drive.

Anyway, I am tryign to prepare several blocks

so I have plenty to work on during the down times during the

convention. I just may get a lot done.

But I need the traced blocks.

I have done 2 and number 3 is sitting here waiting for me

to finish tracing it.

I think I will finish in the morning when I am

more awake.

I still need to pack too.

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Another thing I have been doing is working in the yard and planting

more flower seeds.

Some are starting to come up now.

I hope to post more about the yard after we get back.

But I will probably post it on my main blog.

That is it for today.

Especially since I am about to fall asleep on my keyboard here.

Happy Wednesday and Rednesday!!

~Linnea~

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

It is time for Whatcha Working On Wednesday again! Leslie at My Country Home is our gracious host. I have Leslie to thank for leading me to my stitchery projects. I am so enjoying doing them. Through her I also found out about the Shabby Roses BOM project. I have not started that one, but I have downloaded the all the blocks and instructions and graphs available to date. I think I would enjoy doing that one too. The same designer has the Wonky Houses blocks too. I also downloaded those as well. There are only four designs in that one. Have not decided if I will make them or not. Also on Leslie sidebar is the link to Verandah Views BOM by Willowberry Designs. I love that one too and have downloaded those patterns and directions as well.

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So now I needed a way to keep track of all those patterns on my computer. I have them in the My Documents section which has a folder with my name on it. Then with in that folder is stuff I need to save or want to reference later. So while there I made a new folder and called BOM then I realized it was looking confusing as to which block was which and how many did I really have and so one. So then I decided to put each BOM series in its own folder. Ahhhh, much easier to find what I want now. Now my brain doesn't feel so scattered when I am trying to find the pattern I want. Whew!

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So besides straightening my brain, what else have I been doing? Oh, here is the update for last Sunday on the Stitch Along Blog.

I did not get a lot done I had to unpick a section because I was one row off. But I stitched more than I unstitched, so I guess I am still going forward on that one. Like I keep saying, the Stitch Along Blog is really helping me to spend some time on this one every week.
I finished the JOY block. Not as much going on for this one, so it was fairly quick to stitch.

And now I am working on the fourth one, HOPE. I can't believe how much fun I am having doing these blocks. Because of that I should be moving along pretty quickly on these. For the Verandah Views BOM, I discovered I had on hand the perfect fabric to use, and the right size too. So soon I will be printing out the patterns for that one and pulling together the DMC colors I need and that project to my list of ongoing projects. I guess I will never lack for a project to be working one.
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In addition to the above, I also did spend some more time working on my PLARN bag. Don't have a current picture at the moment. But I will post a picture when I am done. I need to decide what I want to make with PLARN next after I finish this one. I am accumulating plenty of plastic bags to use for PLARN. People at work are giving me their bags, so I am ending up with all sorts of interesting colors. Should be interesting.
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You may remember that picture of the MESSY closet in the office/sewing room. Well, I am also slowing emptying out that closet. And looking through the things as I take them out. Right now none of the rooms in my house is considered neat. Since I don't have a garage to use as a holding place for things, I have to stash them whereever. I hope that redoing the closet to be a more efficient and useful storage area for my craft things will result in a neater house as well. LOL! I sometimes wish I can be off work for awhile so I can get things done. But I have to do things piecemeal around here.
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Another thing I have been doing is piddling around out in the yard. I planted some petunia seeds in my petunia tower and some Polka Dot Bachelor Button flowers around the bottom of the tower. I hope it will be a pretty sight before too long. Pictures will be coming on my other blog for that project. Probably in an Outdoor Wednesday post in a couple of weeks or so.

I have also started drawing the quilting lines on my Oh-Cherry-Oh tablerunner. And I did spend a little more time shaping the fabric around my chair I am redoing. A commenter gave me a great idea for finishing the cushion. I will have to try that one. Did a new header for this blog too in case you haven't noticed!
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So that has been my week. Now I really need to get going and get ready for work if I want to get back home and work on my stuff again.
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Happy Wednesday!!

~Linnea~

Crafty Pink Saturday!

Hooray! It is time for Pink Saturday!

That always makes me happy, except for when I have to work like I do today.

Thank you Beverly for hosting Pink Saturday for us.

That has got to be a big job.

Go see Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for the list of others who are participating today.

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So what do I have for you today besides being PINK in the face from being frustrated with how slow blogger uploads pictures to my post.

Does that happen to you?

I have resort to only uploading 3 or less at a time

otherwise it seems they never get uploaded.

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What do I do while waiting?

Get my handwork, stitchery, crocheting

or whatever and work on it while waiting for the pictures to come up.

Or go to the bathroom, do ironing, sew a seam....

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Sure takes a long time to do a post because of the s.l.o.w. uploading!

But enough complaining.

On to PINK Saturday.

I get to say BYE BYE to this PINK blanket

that is covering my chair.

Why?

See my previous post to see what I have been up to if you haven't already.
Here is a peek.

Other PINKS I have today...

One of my lastest projects.
It is not finished yet.
These are from the Oh-Cherry-Oh charm pack.
I got the pattern from Moda Bake Shop.

See all the PINKS!

Very delicious.

Yum!
You can practically eat them.

Or smell them.

Bows and ribbons!

Oh and I do the cutting with my PINK handled sewing scissors.

Here is something new I have.

Cross Stitch Card Patterns.

More for me to do right?

There are some lovely PINK designs in there.

You can see a few on the cover.

And now I leave you with a PINK Rose.

Happy Pink Saturday!!

~Linnea~

The Blogger Procratinator Party/Challenge After Photos!

Two weeks ago I joined Melissa at The Inspired Room for her Blog Procrasinators Party.

I posted that I was going to try and get this chair recovered.

Did I succeed?

Let's see how far I got.

Here is the before UGLY chair.

It was probably nice in it's prime.

But now just plain UGLY.

I was keep it covered in the pink blanket.

Not the best idea, but I least I didn't have to look at that UGLY print.

This is the pattern I found to make the cover for this chair.

I was following the instructions for the chair in the lower right corner.

Here is the fabric spread on the table.
It was very scary to make that first cut in the fabric.
See the tape measure there.
I was double and triple checking my measurements.
I have had this fabric for nearly 5 years.
Long time procratinating on this one for sure.
After cutting out the fabric, it dawned on me I should have put the leaves in the table.
Duh...that would have given me more space to layout the fabric.
Oh well.....
So now I have to admit I did not quite finish this project.
BUT...thanks to this challenge I have STARTED this project.
That is definitely a lot farther than I was,
which was the roll of fabric sitting in the closet for nearly 5 years.

I have discovered it is quite a challenge to smooth this fabric over the shape of the chair.
Not easy at all.
Here I have it shaped over one wingback.
I could not find upholstery pins, but I did find these yellow head
long pins.
I am hoping they will stay in.
One good thing, the yellow heads on the pins blends in with the fabric.
It will take me awhile to do all the shaping.
I will have to do it piecemeal as I have the energy for it.
The seat cushion will have it's own cover.
That part will be a challenge to make.
I do have the new zipper for the opening.
And muslin to draw and cut out the pattern for the cushion before actually cutting the new fabric.

Here is my mess!
I still have enough fabric for the skirt around the bottom and to cover the cushion.
I may even have enough to make a couple of pillows to throw on the couch.
Thanks for visiting!
And thank you Melissa for hosting this challenge.
It helped me to get going and get started on the project.
Now I definitely have to finish.
I can't quit now.
~Linnea~

Whatcha Working on Wednesday-More Odds and Ends

It is time for Whatcha Working on Wednesday!

Thank you to Leslie at My Country Home for hosting this for us

each week.

Every week I post my progress on the Stitch Along Blog.

This is what I had done as of Sunday.

My apples are definitely getting there.

I finished stitching the first block of the Christmas Wish BOM.

I love how it turned out.

Since I am planning on making 8 quilts with this pattern.

I still have to stitch 7 more.

But I am going to stitch all the blocks I have on the first quilt first

then move on to the second quilt and so on.

Here is what I have done on the second block so far.

And the third block is traced and ready to go.
I have the patterns for the fourth and fifth blocks.
So I am challenging myself some to see how far I can get before
sixth block comes out.
So many things, so little time.
Sometimes I so wish I was a stay at home wife.

Here is the Procratinators Blog Party project.
See how nice that fabric is going to look on my chair?

I have made those cuts that I was so afraid to make.

I moved the sewing maching to the dining room table.

This project is too big to handle on my sewing table in the sewing room.

Should be easier to sew the fabric when I can spread out on the table.

And that is where I leave you for right now.

Happy Wednesday!

~Linnea~

Whatcha Working on Wednesday-Odds and Ends

It is time for Whatcha Working On Wednesday.

Leslie at My Country Home is our gracious host for this fun posting theme.

Come and see what I have been up to this past week.

First up is my cross stitch update for the Stitch Along Blog.

I have already since this photo added more stitching to the apples.

We do our updates on Sundays.

I am always the last to update because of our locations.

Theresa in Australia ususally starts us off because she hits Sunday first.

Then is it those members in Spain and England and Ireland.

Then little ole me on the west coast of the United States.

We have gained a couple new members who want to finished those

undone projects. But I am still the only one from the United States on there.

Belonging to this group is really helping me to finish my cross stitch project.

I plan to do another one when I finish my Apple Bowl.

I decided it was time to get busy stitching on my BOM project from

Gail Pan Designs.

I mean it started in January and here it is May!!

I found my light box.

Now I can see easily to trace the stitching pattern onto the fabric.

Here is the traced pattern.
On the next one I am going to take Leslie's suggestion in her
Stitching Tutorial and use a mechanical pencil.
After rummaging around I found I have at least two of those.

This is the pattern of the chair cover I am doing as part of
the Proscratinator's Blog Party.
I went back to the The Inspired Room blog
and I can't believe how many are participating in this party
Whoa! Picture my jaw dropping to the floor.
I am doing the blue design in the lower right corner.
Oh, I had to look for the pattern, it was hiding.
Next I need to get into that horrid closet and dig out the fabric.
First I cleared off the cutting table so I can fold the leave back down.
Couldn't get into the closet otherwise.
So where did I put the stuff on the table?

Oh, yeah, over here on the ironing board.
Can't leave it there for long. I need the ironing board.
You can see my tablerunner project there
from the Oh-Cherry-Oh charm packs.
I got the pattern for that project off the Moda Bake Shop.

Now I gotta squeeze into the closet here.

There it is. The yellow roll of fabric.

Time to lug it out of there now.

Oh, but look what I found when I was removing a few things

the closet.

A cross stitch project I made in 1998!

You can see the date there.

Never did frame it.

I need to get it framed.

And another one! Made in 1994!

This is not framed cuz of my boo boo.

Even though I prewashed the red threads,

it still bled onto the aida when I cleaned the project

after I finished it.

I was soooo diasppointed.

Anyone have any ideas what to do here???

HELP!!

I really want to get this out where I can enjoy it,

but not with the red/pink stains there.

This I made during the same time frame,

but never finished it.

I should really finish it.

I think I even have the frame for this one already.

Yay! The roll of fabric is out of the closet.

See how pretty it is?

Another closeup of the design.

I forget the name of it.

Another look at the whole roll.

I have been working on it while trying to upload these pictures.

Blogger seems to take forever to upload my pictures to my post.

I cut it down to doing 3 at time instead of 5 which helps.

Did not used to be this slow.

Driving me crazy.

So I multitask during picture loading time.

Okay, here are the directions for the chair cover.

I do lots of double checking of my measurements before

I dare make that first cut.

I'm sort of freezing up here.

Fortunately, I still had my notes of measurements inside the

pattern envelope.

I did the next step on this project.

Sewing the white fabric onto each end.

Did it on both, since I am making two of them.

And look! I even started the stitching on this. Yay!!

Whew! I think that is everything for this week.

I didn't realize I did so much.

And that is around my work hours too.

Woohoo!!

Happy Wednesday!!

~Linnea~