More cowls and a Story Behind Grandma's Stitches

  Hello there!  

Thank you for stopping in!  I hope you are doing well.  

I've been as busy as a bee crocheting cowls.  I use a very complicated pattern for each one of them and it's called "design as I go"!  LOL!  I love stitching up cowls because I simply play with yarn as I go.

This year I decided to give a nod to my paternal Grandma-in-law and highlight her favorite stitches, a simple mesh row and solid double  crochet row.  She named her beautiful pattern, Puertitas y ventanas (Door and Windows).  

The yarn I used is Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn.

The first cowl highlights her mesh stitch

while the double crochet is more of a border.

This cowl is more authentic

 with rows of mesh and double crochet rows.

I'll continue sharing the cowls I've made.  

Christmas Gifts: Did Someone Say Cowls?

Hello there!

    LOL!  I totally forgot to write a post for April!  This month I am featuring quick Christmas gifts:  Cowls.  My goal is to make a Baker's Dozen and I'm well on my way!  

    I’ve been experimenting with two different "jean yarns" lately, and I’m really happy with how both turned out! I didn't follow a specific pattern for these; instead, I just let the yarn guide me.

For the first cowl, I used an I (5.5mm) hook and a soft acrylic one from Hobby Lobby:  I Love This Yarn Stonewash 01/Demin, 5 ounces.  . I started by chaining until the length felt wideI alternated between rows of double crochet, X-stitches, playing with the texture until the cowl reached the perfect width.  One skein yielded one complete cowl.  I had enough left to begin another one and combine it with white yarn.  

My second cowl features Lion Brand’s Mandala Ombre in the gorgeous "Harmony" colorway. This was such a relaxing project! I simply chained until the width felt right and settled into a rhythmic V-stitch. It gives the piece a lovely, simple texture without being too fussy. A quick seam at the ends to form the loop and—voilà—it was done!

Both projects were quick, easy, and very budget-friendly. I’m hoping to have at least one more finished before the month is up. Happy stitching and creating to you all!

The 2025 Christmas ornaments!

I'm back with another post!  My goal is to indeed finish something Christmasy every month.  Fingers crossed!

Since Daddy's passing in August, I fell behind in my stitching.  But my grandchildren's 2025 Ornamenbts are finished and presented to them.  Charizard was a bit too big to be an ornament, so he is in a frame with a fabric border.  They were tickled to receive them last night!
I actually used Colcha embroidery on the llamas instead of simply outlining them.    

Here is the information to the various designs:

Charizard Dragon:  HoneyKittenShop

Gengar:  ChaosKittensCrafting 

Llamas:  by Stitcher's Revolution pattern #31 "Llama Drama"

Yoda:  GeoCreationsUK

Spiderman:  OutlawStitching

Some cross-stitch patterns appeared to be similar to other sellers' designs, so now I only order from cross-stitch designers that provide BOTH a black and white chart and a color chart.  

Onto my project for March!

Happy Creating to you!

Another Christmas finish

 Hello There!

This was my first Christmas without Daddy (yes, at 63 years, I still call him Daddy LOL!).  I started so many holiday projects, but didn't have the heart to finish them.  I'm on a mission to get them done as they are certainly making a mess out of my sewing room!  

I realize this blog is 1 Xmas Item a Month, but I have another quick finish to share.  I hope you all don't mind if I share here more often than once a  month!  :)

While visiting my local quilt shop, I fell in love with a vintage Christmas ornament panel.  Last month I hand stitched some beaded accents on about half of them and this week I finally took them over the finish line. 

This week I'm hoping to finish another quick project. My sewing room is bursting with all the projects I started last month.  The clutter is driving me nuts! 

Take good care!

A Gift For Mama

January 2026

Happy New Years to all!

It does seem like it’s been a while since anyone has posted, to include myself.  My precious daddy, yes at 62. I still call him daddy, became very ill and eventually passed in August 2025.

The annual ornaments I make for my grandchildren were late, but I am hoping to finish the last one this month.  I’ve decided I’ll start making their ornaments at the beginning of the year because life happens and I don’t want to disappoint them.  Here is my progress thus far.  

I did, however, make my mama this quilted Christmas tree.  The easy tutorial is by Petra at Creative Decor. 

Take good care and happy stitching!

Patricia in New Mexico 

at

https://faithtrustandbreastcancer.blogspot.com/

December 2023

 This year I again participated in a Christmas ornament swap and again thoroughly enjoyed it.  

I sent this with the stitching taking only a couple of nights earlier this month. The pattern is one I found on Pinterest.  I am not use to stitching on dark fabric but done ok.  

I have completed other Christmas projects this year and must take photo's to show these.  However one of these is this cute dog advent calendar I made for the grandpup Rusko, though had to use it for our boy Snowy as Rusko and he broke into the Dog advent calendars my daughter and I bought for them.

Christmas Ornaments

 Finally I have a few Christmas items to write about it.  Is anyone else surprised that it is October already?  I made these for our Church fair weekend.  I sold several of the felt ornaments but none of the lace ornaments.

Post for April and May: Stitching through my Christmas Stash - two quilts done!

Ever since I saw Vanessa Goertzen's of Lella Boutique new Christmas line, Christmas Eve, several months ago, I knew I had to stitch through my Christmas stash so I could make room for her beautiful fabrics!  

In April I finished this simple patchwork quilt.  

I love the backing fabric as it reminds me of my father's love for the forest and pine cones.

In May I finished a tumbler quilt with the scraps from the above quilt.  I had to purchase a few bits and bobs to complete it.  I love this one!

I'm hoping to get some Christmas mug rugs finished in June!  

Happy Stitching!

May IteM

 Another postcard... Festive Lights...

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MaRcH

 I made 3 postcards this month...

Thanks Narelle...

Finally Have a February and March Finish!

 Hello Everyone!  

I finally have a February and March finish!  Being that we'll be going to San Diego later this month, I decided I should post both months.

This month I finished this set of Christmas placemats.  They were an opportunity to practice machine quilting and binding.

I also finished this Christmas quilt which I call Beauty From Ashes. 

My Christmas stash is shrinking!  Yea!

Happy Spring to you all!

February 2023

Not quite a total finish, but I have finally finished this stitching.

I started this approximately two years ago and this month finally pulled it out of the UFO pile and finished the last elf a few days ago.

Now to iron and stitch it together, so watch this space next month.

 

February

A Mistletoe POSTCARD was this months' project finish. 

Thanks Narelle... xox

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A BiT LaTe

After a very BuSY January, I finally made a small gift.

An Aussie themed Christmas Postcard.

Now I better get busy & finish something for February.

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January’s Finish

  Here is my Xmas item for January!  

This is the 3rd in a series of 3 Kitty themed tea towels 

which will be late Christmas gifts to my Golden Girls!

We are 5 retired/still working teachers 

who gather together as often as we can.  

We meet in January 

for our belated Christmas celebration.