I am fairly new to applique. All of these shapes are done with Bunny Hill Designs line of Mistletoe Lane fabrics. I was about to throw this magazine out when I saw this design and thought I`d give it a try. These are all fused down now, but I`m a bit stuck on how to sew them down. I tried hand stitching but don`t care for the look of it. I gave away my fancy Pfaff that had the perfect stitch for this project, so now I`ll have to get creative to finish it.

https://bunnyhilldesigns.com/index.php/mistletoe-lane-layer-cake.html

This little project folder is shown with an 8" hoop. 

Embroidered patch on bag.

Drawstring cotton bag.

Month 2 of the www.elefantz.com stitch along.

Love this variegated perle cotton! Another patch stitched to a bag. I recently gave a gift in one of these bags. It was so well-received, I was proud.

A second try this week with the glue gun. I think I see a slight improvement.

I still could use some practice with the glue gun. These clippies are cute anyway.

Stitching all these states lead me to another U.S. project.

I figured out a storage solution for this long term project. I'm trying to steer away from junky looking Ziploc bags for each project. For this folder, I hand stitched some thread loops to hold some supplies in place. Then, as I need them, I can simply cut the loop and pull out the thread. I also used a thread loop to hold the ring in place that is holding all the floss colors.

 

Designer Val Laird has this wonderful block of the month. "Keys to Contentment" Hopefully the link in the sidebar works if you'd like to try it too.

Gail Pan's rework garden. I enjoyed stitching this so I didn't want to wait for all 12 to be done before I post. I'll be trying to do one a month.

http://www.amazon.com/Patchwork-Loves-Embroidery-Stitches-Projects/dp/1604683732/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425315776&sr=8-1&keywords=gail+pan

I am doing a new thing! The new year brought a shift in my crafty focus. A favorite blogger sent this email out at the most perfect time for me!

 

Pattern: wildolive.blogspot.com

 

Aside from the terrible lighting, here is a stack of dolly diapers. These are some fun colors, so I may try to get them in better light.

Our latest batch of soap. The long hunk is a super-fatted mild coconut. The bars in the front are "Serenity". It has been a while since I've used any scents, but I really like the result this time.

 

I barely pull out the sewing machine these days, but an acquaintance asked for an apron for her daughter. Don't look too closely. I cut this out one night in a quick few minutes without a pattern. Then I sewed it together in exactly 15 minutes. That also explains why it is so wrinkly. It did feel comfortable to be behind the machine again-even for a short time.