FlossTube Video

OK, boys and girls I have jumped on the FlossTube train!!!

Not sure if I should have.  I find it very strange to talk into a computer.  But my daughter Chaz 

talked me into trying it, in fact she sat in on it and helped me along.

She has also been my technical help.  I don't really do computer stuff well and Chaz has

been helping me along and getting me more involved in the social/technical world!!!

So if you have a few minutes and watch FlossTube go check out my video.

Queen of Quite A Lot

Also check me out on Instagram and my Facebook page- MadeByMamaJoan- a link to my Instagram is on my sidebar.  I am having a giveaway for the project bags I am selling.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you are having a great week and staying warm.

Joan:)

Instagram Giveaway!

Hey Stitchers!  I'm expanding my technology horizons and have recently branched out to Instagram.  With this big leap, I am hosting a giveaway.  It's a winter themed project bag with a clear front.  Please find and follow me on Instagram- @nammyjoan  You can click on my new Instagram badge found on the right to navigate to my page. There you can find the details about how to enter and see projects I am working on, and projects I have finished.  Speaking of... it's Finishing Friday! My daughter saw one of the ornaments I completed recently and requested one.  So here it is!

I picked up the cute little red sled from Michael's.  I may have to go back for more!  

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.

Happy Stitching:)

Joan

A few more finishes...

I had a couple of finishes this week.

 Stitched up these Santa's for the grands this year.  Sorry for the glare.  I don't take very good pictures.

I stitched these up through the year and just finished them this week.  My hubby spray painted the snowflakes and I embellished them.  As of now I have 6 grands, so I have an ornie for my tree and one extra!!!  The design is from Charland Designs called Santa Topper from Just Cross Stitch Ornament Magazine.  Not sure which year though.

 This is Foxwood Crossings-RFD Sledding stitched on brown 14 count perforated paper with DMC threads.

Started 11-7-2016

Finished 11-9-2016

How cute is this, I love it!

Lastly, Stacy Nash's --December 25th Merry Christmas stitched on 32 count ice dyed linen by me with DMC threads.

Started 11-5-2016

Finished 11-7-2016

That's it for today.

Hope you all are having a great weekend and HAPPY STITCHING!!!

Joan

Two More Christmas finishes

Keeping with trying to post my finishes as I do them, I have to more Christmas ornies done.

 LHN--2016 Christmas Ornament.

Stitched on 32 count French Lace with DMC threads.

Started 10-31-2016

Finished 11-3-2016

Lizzie Kate--Peppermint Sleds-Cardinal.

Stitched on 14 count Perforated Paper with DMC threads.

Started and Finished 11-3-2016

Did some dying today.  I dyed a piece of 32 count and 36 count linen.

I am going to use to 36 count for Plum Street Samplers-Olga's Autumn Stocking.

This is my version of Vintage Pearled Barley.  Tried to match it to DMC 842.

I think it will work out great.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week.

Happy Stitching:)

Joan

Trying to be proactive!!!

I have had a couple of stitching finishes and thought I would try to get them posted right away.

So not like me:)

 First up is this piece from The Trilogy called Round Robin.  This was a stitch that our retreat group decided to do as a group project for our birdhouse retreat this last August.

The tin was from Micheal's that my hubby spray painted brown.

I stitched this back in March and finally finished it the other day.  I think it turned out pretty cute.

Stitched on 32 count Clay with DMC thread.

Started and Finished the stitching 3-14-2016.

 This stocking is from The Ladies Prim Society Club.  I just received this last week.  It is designed by

Heartstring Samplery.  The piece is called Winter Snow Stocking.  Stitched on 35 count Heartstring Blend with Weeks Dye Works thread.

Started 10-28-2016

Finished 10-30-2016

Lastly is this With Thy Needle and Thread piece called Summer Saltbox.  I have had this for a bit and decided it was time to get it done.  Even though this was stitched on 32 count over one thread, it stitched up pretty quick.  I just love it--sooo cute.

Stitched on 32 count French Lace with DMC thread one over one.

Started 10-30-2016

Finished 10-31-2016

Well there you have it for today. I am off to do some more sewing and finishing today and 

stitching tonight.

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Happy Stitching,

Joan

Trying to do catch up!!!

I have been busy with stitching, sewing, crocheting and finishing.  I just have not been as good at posting to my blog.  So here is a little catch up!

Since it's fall, I thought I would start out with a few fall finishes.

LHN-Pumpkin Patch out of PNPS Magazine,

Stitched on 28 count linen that I dyed with overdyed threads I choose out of my stash.

Started 9-28-2016

Finished 9-29-2016

 My stitching bud Jackie and I stitched up cauldrons.  Mine is on the left.

Drawn Thread-Full Moon, mine was stitched on 36 count Dirty linen with DMC thread.

Started 8-27-2016

Finished 8-28-2016

 Again my stitching bud and I stitched up this Jeannette Douglas-Pumpkin Pincushion.

We used a tart/quiche pan which my hubby spray painted brown.

Stitched on 36 count Antique Ivory with DMC threads.

Now I have been watching Floss Tube and see how many starts some people do/have.

With that being said, I am not criticizing how people want to stitch but it overwhelms me when 

someone has tons of starts.  I have my fair share of starts so I understand it but it has inspired me to take a look at all my starts and try to get them finished.  I have about 25-30 starts.  So here are a few that I have finished recently.

  

 First up is a birth sampler for one of my granddaughters.

Drawn Thread-Birth Sampler.

Stitched on 40 count white with NPS.

I started this back in 2009 and finished it September 2016.

I have one more birth sampler to do for our grandson and then another

one to do for a new grandbaby due in March 2017!!!

 This is my oldest WIP!!!  I am so HAPPY to have this one finished.

This is a Jean Farish Needlework piece.  It's called Down Home Christmas ABC's.

It was stitched on 14 count white with DMC threads.

Now I know this was a old piece because I don't stitch on 14 count--I am kind of a linen snob.

Also I had started this piece at the top and I don't ever start at the top, I always start my pieces at the bottom.  I think I started this piece in 1989 or 1990!!!!

Finished 9-25-2016

 This is the fabric I used on the back.

This is how far I was when I decided to finish this stocking.

So it only took me about 2 weeks to finish it.  Why did it take me so long???

Did I mention that I love this piece.  So glad I finished it:)

 One more WIP that I pulled out and finished.  

Christmas of Olde--On Giving.

Stitched on 36 count flax with DMC variations thread.

Finished 10-26-2016.

I will be finishing this into a flat ornie.

 Did the finishing on this Shepherd's Bush scissor fob.

 The Scarlett House--This is my Happy Place.

Stitched on 40 count mystery linen with DMC threads.

Started 9-16-2016

Finished 9-18-2016

I finished this in an old jewelry box.

I love how this turned out.

 Here's a look on the inside.

 Lizzie Kate-Accept What Is.

Stitched on 32 count lambswool with DMC thread.

Started on 8-24-2016

Finished 8-26-2016

Framed in a thrift shop frame.

 Yep, I jumped on the DBCS train.  Here is my progress so far.

Now I haven't worked on it for a month or so.  But I will return to it.

I am stitching it on Antique White using DMC thread 3818.

 This is an afghan I made for our daughter for her 30th birthday.

It took me 2 weeks to crochet it.  Needless to say I did not get any cross stitching done!!

 I have also done some sewing.  I made these bags.

I also make pouches and other items to sell.

Check out my FB page and Esty shop.

facebook.com/MadebyMamaJoan

MadebyMamaJoan.esty.com

 I made these two frogs for two of my friends who's daughters had little girls this September.

I think they turned out quite cute.

You can find a tutorial on these on the Fat Quarter Shop you tube channel.

You do have to buy the pattern by Me and My Sister.

Lastly here is a picture of some of my stitching buds.  we gather on October 1st at a local grocery store that has a great community room.  We had a great day together.  We hope to do this again soon.

Thanks for visiting and I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Happy Stitching,

JOAN

Retreat, State Fair Ribbons, finishes, other going ons and surgery!!!

Again it has been awhile since my last post.  Where does the time go?

First up we had our annual retreat.  Jackie, Jill, Lori and I have been doing this retreat in August for about 10 years now.  We have a theme every year and this year it was Birdhouses. 

Jill brought this mat over that a friend of hers had found.  It was appropriate, don't you think?

Retreat this year was from August 2-6,2016.

We usually gather at my house. First thing up is usually our "gifties".

Here is a before picture of all the goodies before we opened them.

 These are all the goodies from Jill that we each received.

Jill stitched and finished a floss tag with our initial, gave us each a little scissors, a box of DMC's newest floss colors, thread magic--which I really like, charm initials, hand cream, pencil and a glass ort jar,  Thank you Jill:)

 Next up is Lori's goodies.  Her Aunt helped her out by painting a cute little birdhouse, stamping cards and the embroidered dishtowel.  Lori stitched up a scissors fob for each of us also.  She kitted it up for us to finish.  Plus she took us all out for lunch.

Thanks Lori.

These goodies came from Jackie.  First she gave us a basket to keep our project in that we may be working on, a birdhouse mug, an ort jar topped with a stitched birdhouse and every year she stitches us a coaster.  Plus a needle minder and some stickers.

Thank you Jackie.

 This is my contribution. I made most of my goodies.  Every year since we started retreating I have made a pet screen vinyl bag, this year was no exception.  It is the bag in the upper left, I also made a clear front pouch, a pillow case for a pillow we received a few retreats ago, and two different kinds of fabric boxes and I stitched a pin pillow.  It was fun putting this altogether.

It was a really fun relaxing time. And of course we made a trip to our LNS to start our retreat:)

Next years theme is "Needlework"!

Here is a picture of my State Fair entries and my ribbons.  Didn't do to bad.

 Also entered Quaker Rose but no ribbon!!  Judge said this should have maybe been entered in the sampler category.  Not sure I would agree.  It was in the over 250 stitches category.  Well you can't win them all.

 Here is a picture of a bunch of finishes I did earlier this summer.  Some of these finishes have been stitched for years.  I was just in the mood to get them in finished form.  Plus there were plenty of current stitches.  

 This piece is a Hands on Design which I stitched for a friend for her birthday.

It was quite a fun stitch.

 Another birthday stitch for a friend.  This was a Little House Needlework pattern.

I may stitch this again for myself.

 I do some custom sewing and I made these pillows for a lady I know.  She had bought this fabric to match a chair she has and always wanted some pillows made out of it.  I think she said she had this fabric for years.  So she contacted me and here is the end result.

 My daughter wanted a baby quilt for her sister-in-law.  And of course it was a rush job, I think I had like two weeks!!!  But I did get it done.  My daughter cut out the pieces and I did the sewing and quilting.  I think it turned out pretty cute!

I also put this quilt top together earlier this summer.  Now I need to get it put together and quilted.  

So as you can see I have been busy.  Maybe that is why I don't post much--no time.

I have a few more things I have done or I am working on.  I will try to post again in the next week or so.

I also had surgery on September 8th.  Nothing to serious, really hasn't been that bad just seems to have knocked the wind out of me.  I just seem to tire easily.  I am used to working out everyday and that has been put on hold till everything heals.   Gives me a little more stitching time as I mend. 

Thanks for stopping by.  

Have a great weekend.

Happy Stitching,

Joan 

Grand Champion

Just a quick post to show the results of one of my county fair entries.
This piece is from Ladies Prim Society club.  It is called Once Upon a Summer by
Heartstring Samplery.

I have another seven pieces in the fair but I will have to post about them later as I don't have
any pictures of them.  My daughter took the pictures when she went out to the fair and
she posted this one on her Facebook page and I got the picture from there.

I have also been on retreat here at my house with three of my stitching cronies.  We
started on Wednesday and will go through tomorrow(Sat) so I will be posting
about that adventure too:)

Have a great weekend.

Joan

County Fair Results and Patriotic Basket

Here are the results of the pieces I took to the Ramsey County Fair.

This is Quaker Rose by Stickideen Von der Wiehenburg which took 1st place,

The next two are I pledge by La D Da, and Free and Brave by Drawn Thread.

Shepherd's Bush Stocking and a Little House Needlework ornie.

Here are Betsy's tart by Plum Street Samplers and another LHN piece called with Liberty and Justice that I made into a pillow.

So all in all I entered 7 pieces, won five 1st place ribbons and two 2nd place ribbons.

Not to bad.  Now I am off to another county fair next week.

My friend Jackie and I stitched this pattern by Manni Di Donna called Patriotic Days.

Then yesterday we finished them into these baskets.  They turned out so cute.

My basket is the one with the blue lining and Jackie's is of course the other one.

Now we have a fob and floss tag to finish which goes with these baskets.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Stitching.