A Few Of My Favorite Stitchy Things

This morning while I was booting up my computer, preparing to tackle yet another spread sheet, I decided that I would rather be stitching. Not a huge news flash, I know. But as my machine came to life, I caught a whiff of the tea steeping next to me. "That's it!, " I declared (in my head.) If I could I would open an embroidery shop with a tea bar. Of course, this is absolutely no time to be starting a business even if I did have the money to, which I don't. But I can share my favorite designers with you...you could even come over for a cup of tea.

On a whim, I decided to learn to embroider last fall. My local quilt shop had darling little patterns by Penguin and Fish. I snapped on up and went home to learn. Luckily, Wendi Gratz has an amazing Embroidery School on her blog. Wendi also had wonderful patterns...lotsa fun monsters.

Once, I stitched up Penguin and Fish's Fox, I was HOOKED. I then bought her newt, owl, hedgehog (my favorite pattern of hers), jellyfish and quail. It was love at first stitch.

Then I discovered Wild Olive. Mollie is like the most talented designer ever. I'll admit, I kinda have bit of a girl crush. I have stitched MANY of her designers, but I think that Crafty Characters may be my favorite.

Do you like cute things? Who am I kidding? EVERYONE likes cute things. Look no further than Aimee Ray and her awesome books. Luckily, my local library had The Motif Collection (with CD.) I made a great tea towel using her veggies patterns (Stay tuned for a photo soon!) Her books are well worth the investment.

I love smart and classy patterns and So September has us covered. This is my favorite.

How me is this pattern? Seriously. This is my next purchase for sure!

All the patterns at Follow the White Bunny are adorable and her animals are super-cute.

And everyone knows how I feel about Sublime Stitching! Jenny can do no wrong in my book.

I have tried my hand at a couple patterns and may even submit on to a publication this year. I will have to work on my drawing skills, but hey, embroidery shops/tea bars don't open without some hard work! ;)

Stitchy Saturday: Embroidered Shirt

I have long loved embroidered Mexican blouses and skirts, but I am a small gal. That much pattern can overwhelm a small frame. I have also always wanted to try stitching on a knit. This project allowed me to control the amount of embroidery and experiment with a new technique.

For this project, I used a cotton v-neck shirt from

Old Navy, T-Shirt Stabilizer from Sublime Stitching

and was inspired by a pattern from So September.

Because I was free-embroidering, I wasn't sure how big the

stitching would become. I decided to iron stabilizer to the

entire collar area.

I began with vines stitched with split stitch.

I used two different shades of green.

To add flowers, I used lazy daisy stitch, 

french knots, and satin stitch.

I am really excited to layer this over

a coordinating cami and rockin' it

with a pair of jeans. Love it!

Stitchy Saturday: Embroidered Pendant

Summer is giving us subtle cues. Days are getting shorter, veggies are piling up on every flat surface in our kitchen, nights are getting crisper, and I am prepping for the fall play. 

With cooler days ahead, I find myself thinking of new outfits for autumn, new accessories to make in the studio and new embroidery projects to unwind with a cup of tea before bed.

Inspiration struck in a fun way--I got a great shadow box pendant as a gift and I bought some beautiful patterns from So September (visit her blog...her work is AMAZING). Perfect. I decided to combine the two to create a fabulous necklace for fall.

I am in love with this necklace. For real.

I started with a 1 1/2 shadow box pendant. 

The well behind the glass is fairly deep, 

which proved to be a hug benefit.

Using the circle template made this SO much easier.

I simply traced the size that I needed on muslin.

I wanted the piece to look finished with a tiny

rustic touch. Hence...muslin.

I utilized a portion of Corrine's gorgeous pattern

and chose some colors that would transition nicely

into the autumn.

I cut around the circle with my pinking shears 

and cut a circle a teensy bit smaller than the shadow box 

from foam core.I stretched the embroidery around the 

foam core and tacked it with hot glue. 

I tacked the entire piece into the shadow box

with a drop of hot glue.

Ready to accessorize me all through the

autumn...so happy when my worlds collide!

Sunday Funday: Getting back in the swing

Trying to become a regular blogger again has been a bit of a challenge. Given the absolutely gorgeous weather this weekend, we have spent the entire time outdoors, getting things done. Which means that I have done nothing to prepare for the coming week's blog.I also have made those pesky quilt blocks yet. Nothing has been made, much less photographed. 


Luckily, I did today's project just before the hiatus.


It is forecast call for rain tomorrow night, so I can buckle down and get things cranking again!

Bought these awesome bird patterns from So September.
LOVe Corrine's work!! Also, kind of in love with the colors that I chose.
And, yes, I am stitching on a fabric napkin that I picked up at Goodwill
for $.25. 

The finished trio on my inspiration wall. 

It's a lil bit fuzzy, but you get the idea!