A Mug Rug, Zipper Pouch, and Fabric Postcard

This month, I finished off a UFO (unfinished object) that has been waiting to be bound into a mug rug since July of 2015.

I hand embroidered the message, "Merry Christmas", the snowflakes, the pole for the sign and around the applique.

This Merry Christmas Red Metallic fabric seemed perfect for the back.

I also realized I forgot to share this fabric postcard (made with Susan Winget's Peeking Snowmen fabric) in December.

And, I forgot I did have a finish to share last November... I had been waiting for this little zipper pouch to reach a blogging friend before sharing.

This is one side...

And this is the other.

Narelle, thank you for all of the motivation with the workshop! It was just the motivation I needed to finish another UFO. :) 

Oh, on a complete side note, I learned that Living My Dream was a trademarked name, so I changed my blog name to Hand Stitched Treasure. The url is the same.

Last Minute Finishes & Secret Gifts

One of my favorite finishes this year was this wall quilt I made for our niece. She has a beach themed bedroom and appreciates hand embroidery. 

I pieced these blocks in 2015 for a crazy quilting round robin. Beginning in the upper-left corner, the blocks were embellished by: Kathy S., Sandra T., Renee Y., Barbara Nicki Lee S., Mary B., and Sandy B. (If interested, you may see more photos on my blog here.)

On Friday night, I created these two zipper pouches and put gift certificates inside them (one for a PaintNite event and one for a movie theater.) Both recipients seemed pleased with their gifts. 

I also mailed out this little tissue-pack cover made with upcycled denim. The snowman pictured below was embroidered on the back.

Narelle, thank you so much for opening the workshop for us all this year. Without the extra motivation, I would not have had as many handmade gifts to give away.  Thank you!

Fabric Postcards

This month I created a fabric postcard with the crazy quilt block I embellished and shared last month. 

While I was at it, I decided to make a second fabric postcard using a scrap of fabric from my stash. 

I love this "Christmas Spirit" fabric by Geoff Allen.

The backs are not perfect, but the colors are fun. 

There was one more finish this month, but it was mailed out early and has yet to be received. I will share it next month.

I am wishing you all a very productive, crafty month.

The big day is sneaking up on us...

Christmas Postcard Embellished

It is not a complete finish, but I did complete the embellishment on this Christmas postcard. (I thought I would have time to assemble it this evening, but my family wants a movie night!) Next month, I will share a completed photo along with next month's finish.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, productive October! Thank you for providing this workshop, Narelle. It gives me an extra push. (Can you believe there are only 13 weekends - including this one - until Christmas?)

August - No Sew Fleece Blanket

Thanks to this blog, I have a finish this month. Last December, my son and I found this no-sew fleece blanket kit marked down by 75% at JoAnn Fabric. We put it in a safe place, planning to put it together before Christmas. We rediscovered it in February. Oops!

Today, I trimmed and tied the edges. This was my first no-sew fleece blanket and I had fun with it.

Thank you for offering this Santa's Workshop, Narelle. This would still be in its "safe place" awaiting attention without it.

July - Christmas Stocking Finish!

I finally finished the crazy quilted Christmas stocking I was making for my husband. 

I believe the Santa cross-stitch is from the book Alma Lynne's Country Cross-Stitch. 

I also made a pillowcase for my husband using the "roll up" or "burrito" method. I watched this YouTube video by The Crafty Gemini, but also followed this tutorial by The Seasoned Homemaker using French seams. Aside from my print being sideways, I love the way it turned out. (My husband will not mind, as he frequently turns his pillow sideways anyway.)

Narelle, thank you for providing this blog. It really pushed me to finish a few things this month.

May - Stocking Update

This month, I finally finished embellishing the Christmas stocking I am making for my husband. 

I believe the Santa cross-stitch is from the book Alma Lynne's Country Cross-Stitch. 

Next month, I will be able to share this all sewn together. I hope to have at least one more finish to share at that time.

Here is a close up of the embellishments on the top of the stocking.

(I worried the bells were too bulky, but my husband likes them and I love the way the stocking will jingle.)

And a close up of the stitching at the bottom.

An Ornament Finish and a Bit of Progress

This month I sewed a crazy quilted circle I completed last October into a Christmas ornament. Sewing circles is not my strong point. Thanks to the beaded edging tutorial I found at Hokkaido Kudasai, it looks a bit more round than it originally did.  

The ornament will be a gift.

On my larger projects, I made a tiny bit of progress. I added a few more snowflakes to my Winter/Christmas wall quilt. Next month, I am going to try adding a flake a day so I might actually finish it this year. (I love the look of the snowflakes, but find I am very s-l-o-w at embroidering them.)

I also finished the little tree scene at the bottom of the Christmas stocking I am working on. (I believe the Santa cross-stitch was from the book Alma Lynne's Country Cross-Stitch. I no longer have the book, so I'm not positive.) My goal is to finish the embroidery on this by next month's update.

Narelle, thank you for your behind the scenes work with our Christmas Workshop. It provides me with motivation when I find mine lacking (or other projects screaming louder for attention.)

Winter/Christmas Crazy Quilt Progress

This year, I have several time consuming Christmas projects I plan to complete before December.

One of those projects is my Winter/Christmas Crazy Quilt. I pieced these blocks and mailed them out as part of a Crazy Quilt International Round Robin I participated in from July 2013 to January 2014. Kathy B., Donna A., Barbara W., Kathy S., Melody B. and I each embellished one block.

This month, I added some beads to the snowflakes I am embroidering along the borders. I hope to make a lot of progress to share in February.

-Renee

More Finishes!

I am afraid I am a few days late, but I did manage a few more finishes in November.

I sewed the little topiary I shared a while ago into a tissue cover.

This postcard was created for a swap within the Crazy Quilting International Group.

And I finished the crazy quilted stocking I was working on for my son. (He did not want his name on it because he wants to pass it on to his own family some day.)

This tote bag was almost finished in November. I added the last stitches to it today. (It was made following this tutorial.)

I really want to thank Narelle for offering the opportunity to participate with this blog and for the motivation to create a Christmas item a month. I still have a few projects to finish up, but it is nice to have several already completed. Thank you!

Merry Christmas Cross-Stitch

This month, I cross-stitched this small chart from the Leisure Arts leaflet: Christmas Jar Toppers. 

It feels like Christmas is quickly approaching. I hope to have several finishes to share in October.

Santa and the Mouse is Done!

I missed posting in July, as life was just too busy. 

This month I am thrilled to say I finally finished cross-stitching the Heaven and Earth Designs retired freebie chart of Santa and the Mouse. (It is a smaller section of this chart.)

I also added a Christmas tree seam and an angel seam to a crazy quilted stocking for my youngest son. 

Next month, I hope to have more finishes. I have a few items that are all stitched and just waiting for me to pull out my sewing machine to transform them into gifts.

Narelle, thank you for offering this blog. It is so nice to have so much progress on Christmas gifts and projects before the end of November this year.

Progress on Embroidery Projects

This embroidery will be used as the back of another tissue pack cover. The pink background was painted as part of the free Intermediate Crazy Quilt Class 102: Working with Paint, Dyes and Inks.

I also pieced a crazy quilt stocking featuring a cross-stitch of Santa from an Alma Lynn pattern that I stitched up at least a decade ago. I hope to have embroidery completed to share next month.

And, I finished page 3 of the retired Heaven and Earth Designs Freebie Santa and the Mouse pattern I have been working on. This is how it looked on June 24th. 

Patriotic Tote Bag

This month, I combined a red, white and blue crazy quilt block and a couple of patriotic fabrics to make a tote bag following this tutorial. It will be a gift for someone that served in the Army.

I also made a fair amount of progress on my free Heaven and Earth Designs Santa and the Mouse chart. This is how it looked on May 25th.

Tissue-Pack Covers

Tissue-Pack Covers - Tops

This month, I created 3 tissue-pack covers. The two on the right will be gifts and the one on the left will be for me because I adore the snowman fabric!

Tissue-Pack Covers - Bottoms

I discovered this super easy, free Better Homes and Garden pattern here on Pinterest.

I also managed a bit of progress on my Santa and the Mouse ornament. (This retired, free pattern from Heaven and Earth Designs is a smaller section of this chart.)

Tote Bag and Cross Stitch Progress

I made this bag as a Christmas gift and it was also a part of the Tree Bird Blog Hop at Sew We Quilt.  I followed this tutorial. 
(If you decide to make one, please note the tutorial does not tell you where to place the pocket or straps, 
so I centered the pocket about 2 inches from the top of the fabric 
and lined the outer edges of the straps with the pocket.)

I crazy quilted the pocket. 

I hoped to make a second gift, but spent most of my free time working on this long term Christmas project. (The photo above shows progress through March 25th. This was a free chart at Heaven and Earth Designs that is no longer available, but it is a small section of this larger chart.) I hope to make significant progress by next month.

Crazy Quilted Pillow Cover

The Christmas pillow cover I made in January (using a tutorial from Lemon Tree Creations) was a test run to see if the pattern might work to make a pillow cover with this gorgeous crazy quilted 12-inch block.

I cross-stitched the rose on black fabric using a chart in the Leisure Arts pamphlet, "A Regal Rose and Distinctive Floral Alphabet" and pieced the block for a novice round robin with the Crazy Quilting International Yahoo! Group. The round robin began in July of 2012 and ended in January of 2013. The gorgeous embellishments were created by Shannon C., Crystal S., Hazel T. and Mardeen L. Their work is so gorgeous, it was hard to believe it was a novice round robin. The ladies all knew this would be a gift and they certainly made it special.

Until now, I have been too nervous to finish the block into the gift I planned for it to be. Now it is ready to be wrapped up and given away this Christmas. (I wish you could all see the lovely details in person...)

Christmas Pillow Cover

I am so excited to join 1 Xmas Item a Month this year. 

It was so much fun seeing all of the lovely finishes in 2014.

This month, I made my first Christmas pillow cover for a 12-inch pillow form

by slightly modifying the tutorial at Lemon Tree Creations.

I fell in love with this "Christmas Spirit" fabric by Geoff Allen 

for Springs Creative Products Group.

The pillow will look right at home on our couch in December!