The PinKeep

More Strawberries

2012-01-21T18:19:00.000-08:00

Velvet Hearts

2012-01-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

Finished these hearts about a week ago but haven't had a chance to post them. They are about 2x2 and stuffed with sawdust...I love velvet....but can't say that it is fun to sew with. Linda

Few New Finishes

2012-01-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

Needle case

Sampler

Found a little time this weekend to do some stitching..

Half Time Post

2012-01-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd take a quick second during the halftime of the Capital One Bowl to show you some of my finishes from the weekend.

Mini Drum

Sawdust stuffed strawberries

Back to stitching.......GO HUSKERS!!!!!! Linda

Another Drum Roll

2011-12-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of another drum I finished this weekend.....stuffed with sawdust and a little velvet strawberry on the side. I learned how to make these this summer when I took a class from Stacy Nash.

Some New Finishes!

2011-12-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a couple of things I just finished up this evening....

The first is a fabric covered hot tea box that I cut apart and covered with fabric and then stitched back together. I made a robin egg blue velvet pin cushion for the lid and added a velvet strawberry.

My next finish is a 5 x 6 sampler. I love this frame.

Missing an "R"

2011-12-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

I love this little arrangement but now I am on the hunt for another letter "R".......I guess this is what they call make do.

1846 Bishop Hill Hooked Rug

2011-12-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

I just pulled the last loop on the 1846 Bishop Hill Rug that I worked on during my Jan Goos class in Nebraska City. This is a pattern I drew after our summer vacation stop at Bishop Hill, Illinois. Bishop Hill is a village that settled in 1846 by a group of Swedish immigrants seeking religious freedom. Bishop Hill is a quiet, country village www.bishophill.com that has many historic buildings, bakery, shopping and live demonstrations. We had lunch in this cute old filling station you could even see where the oil pit from the garage was. My favorite store was a place called Sweet Annies......great, great primitives. This rug depicts Sweet Annies on the left. Originally these two buildings were governmental buildings. The flower in the middle of my rug represents the road that divides the two buildings but led to some wonderful flower beds in the backyards. If you are ever on 1-80 heading across Illinois you must detour and stop at this lovely village.

Nebraska City, NE Rug Hooking Retreat

2011-11-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a few pictures from my last couple of days at the Nebraska City Rug Hooking Retreat. My instructor was Jan Goos and she was wonderful!. I'm not sure but the rug she helped me with might be my all time favorite. I won't post until it is complete....keep you in suspense.

We hooked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9-3 and could come back and hook till 11 at night. On Monday night each instructor gave a talk. Here is a picture of one of the instructors building a color wheel with people.

Here is Jan Goos giving her talk (did I mention she was a great instructor). (notice the Maggie rugs on the back wall).

On Tuesday night we had an auctioneer come in and auction off items that attendees had brought. A drawing was held and two people will get to come to next year's retreat for free.....:( I think the auctioneer had a great time and wants to come again next year. He now knows what a snippet bag is.

Here are some other random pics.

Well back to work.....it was fun while it lasted. Linda

For the Love of the Needle Roll

2011-10-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of a PinKeep that I drew up and made this week. Yesterday was perfect weather for it to sit out in the sun and age. I stitched it on 32 count linen and stuffed with sawdust. These are really fun to make if you haven't ever tried one. The sawdust is a little messy of a job but well worth it. My dad sure gave me a weird look when I went to his shop asking for a container full of sawdust :)

Happy Halloween Hooked Style

2011-10-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone has a spooky....creepy crawly weekend..........from Polly Pumpkin!!!!!

Finished Sampler

2011-10-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's done....a little sampler I've been working on for awhile. It started out as the Sampler Challenge that was being put on by The Samplermakers but I didn't come close to meeting the deadline so continued on and here is how it finished. If anyone has advice on how to take pictures without a glare I would love to hear from you. Linda

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

2011-10-12T04:54:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for a good crockpot receipe. I found this one and tried it out for dinner last night. Good Stuff!!!!!

Crockpot Enchiladas

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas, quartered
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 1/4 cups water
1 (12 ounce) jar chunky salsa
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions
1.Crumble the ground beef into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Add taco seasoning and water; simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.
2.In a medium bowl, stir together the salsa, cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. Mix in most of the cheese, reserving 3/4 cup for later.
3.Place a layer of tortillas covering the bottom of a slow cooker. Scoop a layer of the ground beef over that, and then spoon a layer of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers until you run out of stuff, ending with a layer of tortillas on the top. Top with remaining cheese.
4.Cover, and cook on High for 1 1/2 hours.

enjoy Linda

Hard to finish

2011-10-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

So I finally finished this punch needle pattern by Threads that Bind. I've been working on it for several months. I think I will be looking for another finishing method as I really did not enjoy whipping the edges with DMC. There has to be a better way. If anyone has suggestions, let me know.

Fall Hookin Valley NE

2011-10-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Another Drum........

2011-09-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

I really like making these drums.....I wonder how many Stacy Nash designs there are for them. I love the flower basket in this one.....there is suppose to be a bird on top but mine didn't look like a bird so I left it off..... Linda

Drum Roll.......

2011-08-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

I finally finished one on my own. My first drum I stitched on the wrong size of linen so it turned out pretty large; my second I had help from Stacy in class and this one I did on my own. The drum below is designed by Stacy Nash. I have had this in my to do pile for quite some time but after taking my Stacy class earlier this month I pulled it out and stitched it up this week. You would be amazed at the amount of saw dust you can stuff away in these.......

I might have to do another one of these....turned out really cool.

Linda

Stacy's Class was sooooo fun!!!!!

2011-08-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

A week ago I took a class from Stacy Nash in Sycamore IL.....here are some pictures that were taken during the class. Stacy Nash Class Pictures. We had a great time and learned a lot of little secrets.

Her sister also joined us and shared some of her great cakepops. She has a dessert business lillycakes1.com.

Enjoy the pictures.

Sampler Finish

2011-07-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

I finally finished this sampler I have been working on since this winter. I took it with me on vacation last week and made some progress. Sorry for the glare on the glass.....I'm not a great photographer...... on to my next one..... Linda

Secret Envelope Swap

2011-06-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to Wendy from Ravenwood Whimzies for being my secret envelope swap sister. Look at all the neat things she made......

This Vine - Hooked Rug

2011-06-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Finally finished....I started this rug back in November in a class I took with Maggie Bonanomi. I really struggled with finishing it because it felt too "green".... the pattern is This Vine by Janice Johnson, http://www.woolywoolen.com/patterns_ww_thisvine.html. Here is a picture of Janice's version - it's fun to see how the same pattern can turn out so different. I guess it's not totally finished I still have to finish the edges. Linda

A This and That Necklace

2011-06-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

What a hot weekend. Stayed inside and worked on my hooked rug and put together this necklace from odd ball pieces of old jewelry and misc parts. This was sure fun to make...made another one just like it but with a yellow brooch for the center. Stay cool! Linda

Check out my swap arrival

2011-05-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Jennifer at http://stitchanything.blogspot.com/ sent me the cutest pin keep for the Pin keep Swap put on by http://ravenwoodwhimzies.blogspot.com. It is absolutely adorable. It was such a fun package to receive in the mail.....she's so creative. It was hard to get a good picture but it sits on a spool. Thanks Jennifer!

Happy Mother's Day! Little Kids Presents are the Best!

2011-05-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

Vintage Brooch Swap

2011-04-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the brooch I received from my swap partner Wendy who lives in Georgia. She saw how much I like]pin keeps and attached this brooch to this pincushion....how creative. The swap was set up by aswapforallseasons.blogspot.com. It was really fun....!

Linda

Rabbit headed to Ebay

2011-04-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

I hooked this bunny several years ago....but never seem to put him out. I kinda get behind on the season decorating. Hopefully somebody will enjoy him!

Spring Hook-In Pictures - Lincoln, NE

2011-04-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hooked Rug Giveaway

2011-04-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Check out this giveaway it can be found over at the Hungry Hook Primitives blog. She's giving away this gorgeous hooked rug; she's trying to get to 100 followers! Hurry on over to enter and please let her know I sent you so we can both get some extra chances to win.

Vintage Sampler Locket

2011-03-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

I found this locket at a garage sale last summer and couldn't decide what to do with it. I stitched a little sampler for it this afternoon. The locket reminds me of one my grandma use to wear! Linda

Heart PinKeep Finish

2011-03-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

After my large sampler, I needed a little small project to work on.

I've also been busy cleaning out closets since my bedroom redo so I made a drop off at the Goodwill. Of course, I had to go in and look around. This is what I found. Not sure what I will do with it or whether to paint it..would make a good floss holder...any other ideas???? Linda

Out with the Old in the with the New

2011-03-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of my bedroom makeover......as well as some pictures of the hooked rugs in my bedroom. Glad its done.....seems like once you start a project one thing leads to another. Thanks Patty, from Aunt Patty's attic for helping me pick out my blanket for bed, pillows and curtains. Linda

Sampler is Finally Framed and Signed

2011-03-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

Been working on this Sampler off and on.....my first large Sampler creation. It was pretty fun...already got some ideas for another.....so I'm on the hunt for more antique frames. Well off to stitch...... I'm stock piling my stitches and hope to have a sale in the future. Happy Stitchin! Linda

My Vacation Purchase!

2011-03-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a vacation to Phoenix. Thanks to my dad...he drove me to Mesa to Attic Needlework. I have been looking for a book that has different alphabets in it. The book is by Valerie Lejeune......Cross Stitch Letters Bible. It's huge....I'm sure it added a couple of pounds to my suitcase.

I just finished a sampler I have been working on for awhile. I used some of the alphabets from this book. When it is done drying and framed I will post a picture. Loved the weather in Phoenix...much better than the 40 degrees here! Linda

To My Sweet

2011-02-20T17:39:00.000-08:00

Here is my finished Stacy Nash Girl's Club Project for this month. It is her "To My Sweet" Pinkeep. I will keep it out for the month of February even though Valentine's Day has past..... This was also my first use of walnut crystals to tea stain....I really liked it. Not sure I will get much else finished this week - hopefully will be heading to Lenexa, Kansas for the Hookin.....pray for good weather. Linda

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well I don't have any projects finished to show but wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

I wish every day was a snow day! Kinda

2011-02-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

Decided to stay home today since I buried my car twice on my way home from work yesterday. Hubby had to rescue me with the tractor....... good excuse to work on this sampler that I have been stitching on for awhile. I'm going to add a saltbox house to sampler but haven't decided what color or what it will look like.

Puzzle Ball

2011-01-17T16:50:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make one of these puzzle balls for quite some time so this weekend I gave it a whirl. It wasn't as hard as I expected. It did turn out a little larger than I thought it would. These would be really neat sitting in a wooden bowl. Linda

Terrie's Primitive Posies

2011-01-11T17:39:00.000-08:00

This is a rug that I started with Janice Johnson from Wooly Woolens www.woolywoolens.com ; the pattern is called Terrie's Primitive Posies. I worked all weekend long on the border and to be honest was glad when it was all done. I just need to whip the edges and it will be complete. Linda

Helping the Economy!

2011-01-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

I felt it was my duty to contribute to our economy and attend the Lancaster Antique Show & Sale. These are some of my purchases!!!!

This is an antique hooked rug that I am putting on my dining room table. Few holes in the middle but nothing that a bowl or something won't hide.

and here are two little sewing items that I thought were rather cute! I love antique sewing notions!

Almost done hooking the border on a rug maybe I will be ready to post a picture yet this week!

Linda

What did you get for Christmas!

2011-01-06T16:47:00.001-08:00

Thought I'd share the jewelry cabinet that my dad made me for Christmas! I can't believe I already have it full. Thanks Dad!

Linda

Over the River and Through the Woods

2010-12-21T04:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a present I received from my good friend Cammie over at primitivejunky.blogspot.com. She dremels a design into wood and decorates with different scrapbook papers and puts a wax over entire piece of wood. Of course, there is more to it than that but that is the best I can describe it......its found a home on my bathroom counter. I love it! Linda

Fancy Peacocks

2010-11-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a sampler that I finished this weekend....Fancy Peacocks Hanging Pinkeep is the name of the pattern by Stacy Nash Primitives. The pattern is for a pinkeep but I felt like framing it. Four day weekends are great......I also started a good book.....three weeks to say goodbye!!!!!

The Annual Gift Tag Exchange

2010-11-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

Here is some pictures from a Gift Tag Exchange that a good friend of mine has every year. It so fun to see everyone's creations. Good tags, good food and good friends.....was a great time.

Sampler Sled

2010-11-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

I guess better late then never.....it's been about two months since my last post. Not good. Here is a little sled that I found at an antique store and so I stitched a sampler for the top of it. Not sure what I will do with it yet.....gift, keep, ebay...hmmmm Happy Friday everyone! Linda

Finished my Hooked Rug!!!!!

2010-09-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

Off to my hooking class tomorrow with Jayne Johnson from Kansas City....should be fun! Wanted to get this one done before I started a new rug. Linda

Ready for Winter!

2010-09-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

Took me a couple of months but I finally finished my knitted mittens so I'm all set for winter. One of them turned out a little big but they will work. Linda

Huff N Puff

2010-09-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

We just got back from two days at the Huff n Puff Hot Air Balloon festival in Topeka Kansas.....it was absolutely beautiful to see all the different colored hot air balloons. In total there was about 30 balloons....if you ever get the chance it is every September! I've heard the one in Albuquerque is really fun it has about 700 balloons.....would love to go see that one someday. Also got to take a side trip to a fun little stitchery store in Topeka.....The Sunflower Seed....had to purchase a little linen while I was there.

Hope you all had a good weekend! Linda

New Family Member!

2010-09-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

We have a new family member...this cat and his two kids moved in this weekend; my husband thinks it is a divorce situation and the dad got the kids. The baby kittens just opened their eyes (one is grey and the other is black). The daddy cat is very friendly and we think the family just got dumped out in the country. We are looking for suggestions for names.....if your suggestion is taken - I will be mailing you a surprise.....please leave your blog address so I can get in touch with you. Linda

Labor Day Weekend Finish

2010-09-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Love these three day weekends.....I have lots of half started projects but was able to finish this one today....Stacy Nash - Queen of Spring Sewing Roll. This was one of our Stacy Nash Girls Club Projects. Now to decide which project to complete next.....hmmmm.

1776 Sewing Pouch

2010-08-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Just finished this "Country Sampler Liberty 1776 Sewing Pouch" from Stacy Nash Primitives. This pattern was part of her Club Project. I like the fact that I didn't get confused with what color of DMC since it used the same color throughout. I've now turned my attention to the last Club Project "Queen of Spring Sewing Roll"....watch for that soon.

Burwell Nebraska Rodeo....yeeha

2010-08-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

We made our annual trek to the Burwell Rodeo this weekend. Only one cowboy had to be hauled away in the ambulance this year. Here are pictures of my favorite Rodeo event. The Wild horse race.....a team of five guys (locals who decide I'm sure one night after they have had too much to drink) lets form a team. What they do is release a wild horse to this team of five guys who try to saddle up the horse and have a rider from the team ride the horse the entire length of the horse track without falling off. Pretty funny....its usually the event that someone goes to the hospital for.

Well until next year....YEEHA

Do you like Omelet's???

2010-07-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

I made this for dinner tonight and loved it.....but I always enjoy a recipe that has less than 6 ingredients.....

Baked Omelet Roll
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 pepper
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 450 and lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper, cover and process until smooth. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes and sprinkle with cheese. Carefully loosen edges of omelet from pan. Starting from the short edge of the pan carefully roll up omelet. Place omelet seam side down on a serving plate and cut into 6 pieces.

I also added extras.....green pepper, ham....whatever you want. My son loves eggs so this recipe is going to be used often. Try it and let me know if you like it.

Linda

Rug Hooking Floor Stand...at last

2010-07-11T09:39:00.001-07:00

So here's the rug hooking floor stand my dad made for me. I love it....it raises, it lowers, it tilts, it twirls it does everything but finish the rug I'm working on.

So what am I working on now......

I just dyed a batch of my "worms" for my background and they are outside drying right now.........stayed tuned for the finished piece.......

Linda

Gone Junkin

2010-07-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

Found this great cement garden art at a sale this weekend! I loved it...... Hope everyone is having a great 4th!

Linda

I'm a Big Boy Now!!!!

2010-06-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

Well my son turns "6" this coming week and so we did his room makeover this weekend. The first picture is the before picture with his toddler bed and car theme. The easy to take down border paper was a lie....I've sworn myself to be border free for the rest of my life.

Here is his Big Boy Bedroom

It feels so good to have the room painted and done - but the true success will be if he stays in his own bed all night long!!!! Happy Birthday Ryan!!!

Very Expensive Scrappy Quilt

2010-06-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

I finally finished this scrappy quilt that I have been working on with some friends. I got it all clipped this weekend and was excited to get it washed and dryed to see what the frayed edges looked like. My advice would be to do this via the laundry mat. I didn't and am now the proud owner of a new front load washing machine. I guess the quilt was too heavy for my 15 year washing machine and burned the pump on it...so much for my inexpensive quilt! Linda

Memorial Day Finishes

2010-05-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this little pillow/pinkeep for a couple of weeks and thanks to a couple of days secluded out at the campsite I was able to get it finished. The pattern is from Stacy Nash Primitives pattern book, Love Letters. There are a couple other pinkeeps I want to stitch up in that book. Besides this little pinkeep I also finished a knitted wash cloth while sitting by the campfire. What a productive weekend....wish we had three day weekends all the time. Hope you had a great Memorial Day! Linda

Fun Find at Garage Sale

2010-05-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to a garage sale in quite a while so this morning me and Ryan headed out. This was at the first garage sale I stopped at.......I got the whole thing for $2.00. I'm looking for ideas on what I should do with it now. Has anybody seen any fun ideas in magazines???? I love the $ sign......but maybe that is because I work in the financial industry. My other fun score was for .50 1,000 piece puzzle that will be added to my pile of fun things to do someday. I always enjoyed putting puzzles together with my grandparents but the only kind I do now are 50 pieces or less. Ryan thought garage sales were great- he found a bike and is ready to head out again next Saturday. Send me your ideas..... Linda

I got her done!

2010-05-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

It seems like I have been working on this stitching piece for months and finally I baked it this evening. This stitchery was designed by Stacey Nash and stitched by yours truly. I have quite the basket of unfinished items so check back again and see what I have been up to. Linda

SURVIVED DISNEY!!!!!

2010-04-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Disney and had a wonderful time......it's such a happy place! We went to Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios (one of my favorites), Magic Kingdom (loved the parades) and Hollywood Studios. Seems like I have been busy planning the trip and haven't had much time to work on projects. I'm close to having a stitchery finished so keep your eyes out......Linda

Hooker Bubble Magnets

2010-03-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

Boy have I been having fun. I've been busy making "Hooker" related Bubble Magnets and some other misc magnets. I will be all prepared for my next craft show (whenever that might be :)). These were really fun to make; I've done about 50 so far. Everything I look at now....that would make a cute magnet. I might have to make some bubble pins also......

Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth

2010-03-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

I've kinda been on a dishcloth kick....since my good friend Patty introduced me to "Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth" pattern.
Materials: Sugar and Cream Yarn and Size 6 or 7 needles (US)
Cast on 4 stitches
Row 1: Knit 4
Row 2: Knit 2, yarn over, knit across the row. Repeat Row 2 until you have 44 stitches on the needle.
Row 3: Knit 1, Knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to end of the row.
Repeat Row 3 until you have 4 stitches on the needle.
You can now either bind off or do a round of single corchet and make a little loop of chain stitches in one corner so you can hang the cloth to dry when you are finished using it.

Who would have ever thought....I would be knitting dishclothes....!

Finished in no time at all!

2010-03-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

This cute little pattern is by "With they needle and Thread", http://withthyneedleandthread.blogspot.com/. I punched it in two evenings and discovered it wasn't too hard to finish (used a little black marker to hide a few flaws). This picture really doesn't do it justice.....it is very, very cute! These might have to be some Christmas presents. Linda

Another Finish!

2010-03-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

For once I'm ahead of the holiday! I finished this hooked piece weeks ahead of Easter, amazing! I'm ready to put it out as I am very tired of winter! I'm running out of hooked projects to work on....I need our Spring Hook In to get here so I can do some shopping. I'm buying time by finishing some punch needle projects, knitting, stitching...... Have a great week! Linda

Girl's Club Finish

2010-02-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

I suppose one good thing about how cold this winter has been is it has pushed me to finish some projects. This is one of the Stacy Nash Primitives Girl's Club projects that is offered through the Country Sampler, Spring Green Wisconsin. It was really fun to make; I love the fabric that Stacy choose for the kits. Now I have to wait all the way until April for my next Girls Club Project. Bummer! Linda

New Pattern - Peacocks in Love - 1867

2010-02-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

This is a new PinKeep pattern I designed to celebrate Valentine's Day! It is stitched on 28 count linen and uses three different threads. Stitches up really quick! It can be purchased by
e-mailing me. Hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day!

Linda

Happy Valentine's Day to Me!!!!!

2010-02-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

I've been having fun with my new toy that was delivered this week. The Eye-Fi Card. It is like your normal memory card for your camera but if you have a wireless internet connection at home it will take your pictures from your camera (when it is turned on) and automatically download your photos to a library file on your computer and will also send your pictures to a on-line picture service (i.e., shutterfly). It will hold 1,000 pictures (plenty for me). Too fun!

Linda

Giveaway!!!!

2010-02-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

Check out http://withthyneedleandthread.blogspot.com/ for her latest giveaway....they are the cutest little notebooks. Just leave a message and you will be entered into her drawing! Happy stitching, knitting, or hooking whatever your heart desires.

Linda

Trick or Treat Smell my Feet

2010-02-04T05:49:00.000-08:00

I'm playing a little catch up on projects and last week finished this "Smell my Feet" hooked rug. This rug is from Spruce Ridge Studios and is adapted from a notecard by Notforgotten Farms. As long as this winter has been, I think I'm ready for Halloween. On to my next project.....

Linda

Better Late than Never!

2010-01-21T17:40:00.001-08:00

I'm either a little late getting this done for Christmas or I'm really ahead of the game for 2010. You decide!!!!

This was in the Boxwood & Berries Kit that Stacy Nash put together for the Country Sampler in Spring Green Wisconsin last fall. I wasn't fortunate enough to attend the workshop but I purchased one of the kits after the event. Lucky me!!!!!

Linda

Time to Head South

2010-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

So after three significant snow storms this winter I have taken time on my snow work days to research a family trip to Disney. I've made my plane reservations and am getting ready to work on the rest of the trip. Does anyone out there have recommendations on the best way to do Disneyworld (stay on Disney Resort, rent a car or not, meal plan or not). Any help would be appreciated. I am ready for some sun! Departure scheduled for April.

Linda

PinKeep

2010-01-03T17:32:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of a little pinkeep I finished this weekend. I stitched so long today that my wrists hurt. This is a Stacy Nash Primitives pattern. The pattern shows it as a ornament but I made it into a pinkeep. Love these three day snowy weekends! Linda

Third Pair....getting better.

2009-12-23T05:31:00.000-08:00

Well here is my third pair of knitted socks.....It seems to be getting a little easier..I sure wish they didn't take long to make because they are so comfy. If I start now, maybe for Christmas next year my friends might.......but I doubt it.

Have a great Christmas!!!!

Paper Snowflakes

2009-12-18T05:49:00.000-08:00

Look at these cute paper snowflakes that my friends made at our "Rug Hooking" Christmas party. The girl who hosted the party is quite the party planner and had this little make and take craft all organized for us. We'd like her to host every year but that doesn't seem quite fair.....

Too Fun!!!! Linda

Going to a good home!!!!!

2009-12-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

I've been working diligently on this little Merry Christmas Sampler (by Pineberry Lane) over the last month and a dear friend of my received it in a Christmas Gift Exchange. I'm glad to know it's going to a good home!!!!! I think I might have to make one for myself.

We be jammin!

2009-12-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

This last weekend some of my "Camping buddies" got together and we canned Jelly. Wow I have to give my grandma credit that is hard work. We started around 9:30 and canned till 4:00....probably did 60 pints. It was pretty fun.....now I have little jars to give as Christmas gifts. We made Mixed Berry, Apple Pear, Strawberry Rhubard. I might be crackin open a jar as we hunker down for our big snow storm that is suppose to hit tomorrow....they say 10-12 inches. Linda

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T09:15:00.001-08:00

When I asked my five year old what he is thankful for this Thanksgiving he said:

1. Grandma
2. Grandpa
3. Mom and Dad
4. Chicken Nuggets
5. Fruit Snacks

I think it was in that order too. Hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving!!!!!! I'm looking forward to the four day weekend and focus on my unfinished projects. If I'm lucky I may even start on the Christmas cards.

Linda

TAG PARTY!!!!

2009-11-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of some of the great tags I got from a Tag Swap party I went to on Friday night. We each made as many tags and we wanted to and then we swapped with friends. It was a great time. Now I think I should focus on my Christmas Shopping.

Other than making my tags, I have been working on another pair of knitted socks and reading the book "Swapping Lives". Pretty good, book! Just finished it last night.

Have a great week! Linda

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

2009-10-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

There are so many fun things to do this time of year - pumpkin patches, carvin pumpkins, makin scarecrows. Here is the pumpkin and scarecrow that my husband and son made. Hope everyone has a great Halloween! Linda

SNOW Stitched Mitten

2009-10-27T14:55:00.001-07:00

This is my Stacy Nash Girl's Club project. I just got it in the mail last week and had it stitched up in no time at all. I love it.....can't wait for Christmas! This is the 4th project we have received this year as part of the Girl's Club offered through http://www.sgcountrysampler.com/clubs.html

it's so exciting to wait for the mail to see what your project is going to be. Happy Stitchin everyone!!!!!

Halloween Goodies

2009-10-21T15:38:00.001-07:00

Check out these cute little coffin's I'm going to give to friends for Halloween! I found the template on Martha Stewart's website. I still need to fill them with chocolates but I don't want to buy the chocolates till the end of next week. I would probably eat them before I filled the coffins. Happy Fall!!!! :)

Cherry Bread Pudding

2009-10-18T12:13:00.001-07:00

This is a Cherry Bread Pudding receipe that my good friend "Terri" made for a get together several weekends ago. It is awesome!!!!

1/2 cup dried cherries

2 T Orange Juice

6 cups cinnamon raisin bread

1 1/2 c milk

1/2 c cream or half/half

5 Large Eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Combine cherries and orange juice in a microwave safe cup. Heat in microwave till very hot, then set aside for the fruit to soften.

Butter a 1-2 qt. baking dish. Spread the bread cubes in the dish. Whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, flavorings, salt and a dash of cinnamon.

Sprinkle the cherries of the bread crumbs. Pour the mixture over the bread/cherries, pressing the bread down into the milk. Let sit for an hour or so at room temperature or overnite in the refrigerator, covered. Just before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Uncover the pudding and bake for 45-55 minutes, uncovered, until the top is browned and the middle springs back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven, grate gresh nutmeg over the top if desired. Serve warm with ice cream.

Serves about 8.

FFMF.....Fun Flea Market Find

2009-10-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

Here is an Alphabet Stitchin book I found at a flea market this weekend. The lady I bought it from said it came from an elderly ladies estate. The house was over 120 years old....the book is very brittle and needs work done to the binding. It has some great pattern ideas. I also found a couple of needle books to add to my collection. The indoor flea market was a great thing to do since there was snow on the ground...I was praying that soccer would be cancelled. Can't even imagine the winter we are going to have if it is already snowing by October 10th....YIKES. Have a great week!!!! Linda

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-10-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup nonfat milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Combine pumpkin, beaten egg, oil, and milk in a medium bowl. Make a well in dry ingredients; add pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined. Fill muffin cups and bake for 22-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

From the Heart

2009-09-23T15:52:00.001-07:00

This is a little make-do from the Need'l Love book, Folk Heart Threads. The pattern was Designed by Maggie Bonanomi and is called "From the Heart". Super easy to make so I plan to make more........scored big on the candlestick by hitting the goodwill on 50% off day.!

Have a good one!

Linda

Hubby says "It's a Keeper"!!!!!

2009-09-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend I decided I would try a new receipe. Most of my friends know that cooking is not a natural talent for me. I found this recipe and the key word was "Easy" so I thought I'd give it a try. Rarely do I hear my husband say "that's delicious" or "that's not too bad". So when he said, this is "pretty good stuff" - I knew I had a keeper!

Easy Tortellini Soup

1 T olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 T minced garlic

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomoatoes

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

1 T White sugar

1 T Italian Seasoning

1/4 cup red wine

1 dash hot pepper sauce

1 (11 ounce) can white corn, undrained

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces cheese tortellini

In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion, zucchini and garlic in oil three minutes, until onion is translucent. Stir in remaining ingrediants. Cook in crock pot on low for several hours.

We have a pair.......

2009-09-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly sure, but I guess these socks took me about two months to make......in between trips to the yarn store to help me repair my mistakes and then just working on other misc. unfinished work.

I would not consider myself an expert yet as I have only made two pairs of knitted socks. As I was getting toward the end I was thinking -really socks are not that expensive to buy but they are pretty fun. Well off to my next project. Linda

Hooked Rug Finished

2009-09-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well I finally finished my class project from a weekend workshop I took this year with Rhonda Manley in Kansas City. The pattern is a Magdalena Briar -McCue Eagle. It was a very fun pattern to do and it was great getting to work with Rhonda! I think I just might have to hang it in the living room.

2009-09-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

Cool, Cool Scissors!!!!

Check out this nifty scissors I found this weekend! Me and the fam were camping for the three day weekend and on a side trip went to an antique store and found these adorable scissors. How fun - now I have one tool that will measure and cut. I've also been busy working on my second knitted sock so hopefully will have that to show you in a couple of days. I love these three day weekend feels like you get so much done and we couldn't have asked for better weather!

My latest PinKeep....

2009-08-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is my latest pinkeep.....from Stacy Nash's book "From Hollyhock Farm". It just might be my favorite! I like these little stitching projects that I can just throw in a bag and keep on hand. I plan to work on a few of these types of projects this weekend when we head camping. Too many projects....too little time.

Linda

Peach Scones

2009-08-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

2 tsps baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 c sugar

2 3/4 c flour
2 medium peaches, peeled & sliced, about 1 c.

1/2 c butter

1/2 c buttermilk

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, mix flour & cinnamon. Using pastry mixer, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk, egg & vanilla. Stir into flour mixture with peaches until just mixed. On lightly floured surface knead dough 5-6 times. Pat dough into 3/4" thick circle. Cut into 10 wedges. Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy the scones!!!!!

Fun little notebooks for your friends.....

2009-08-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

I recently made these little notebooks for some of my rug hooking friends. I took the spiral binding off a small 4x6 notebook (you can get at Walgreens); took the cover laid it on top of a 4x6 picture and made hole punches based on my cover then rebound the notebook with the spiral binding. What a fun little personal gift.......

Cast Your Spells....

2009-08-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

Feels like I stitched on this all weekend....but I love it. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it.....pumpkins, corn, trick or treating, the farmer's harvesting. This is another pattern by Stacy Nash of Stacy Nash primitives. I've had several of her patterns on my shelf to do and I finally feel like I am getting into the groove of getting some stuff done.

My little boy heads to Kindergarten

2009-08-17T17:07:00.001-07:00

I really feel all, in all, I did pretty good in respect to some of the other bawling mothers as they left their kids behind and headed to work. Ryan's favorite part of the whole day was getting to ride the school bus, the graham crackers and recess. I wish this age would last for a long time!!! Many of my friends are sending their kids off to college and that day seems so far for me but probably not...they say that time flies.

Never leave the polyfill bag unattended.......

2009-08-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

So I've been working on some pinkeeps for some friends and left the room to do a little machine sewing only to return to this......moral of the story never leave the polyfill bag unattended. Ryan sure had a good time with it though.

Ever wonder how needles are made?

2009-07-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

How traditional needles are made:
Steel is made into wire.
The wire is straightened and cut to pieces equal to the length of 2 needles.
Points are ground onto each end of these pieces.
Two holes are stamped in the middle of the wire to make two eyes.
The two needles are separated.
The eyes are cleaned in a process known as cheeking.
The needles are then hardened and tempered.
Burrs are removed and the needles are polished.
The needles are then plated in nickel to prevent rusting and make them shiny and smooth.

Another One Finished

2009-07-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a pattern that I stitched "Two Birds" Sampler designed by primitivebettys. One can never have enough needle books.

Let's Tank!

2009-07-27T05:37:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share pictures of my trip to the Burwell Rodeo this weekend. We had a great time - we camped, we rodeo'ed and we tanked! And who says people in the middle of Nebraska don't have anything to do.......the trip down the river took approximately 3 hours but was a blast. I had lots of plan to stitch, read and rug hook this weekend but with all the activities going on...didn't even get it out of the camper.

I'm on a roll now......

2009-07-23T05:42:00.004-07:00

I've just completed unfinished project #2 - Ann Neetle Sewing Book by Stacy Nash Primitives http://www.stacynashprimitives.com/. It's such a good feeling to take a bag off the shelf that contains an unfinished project and see it completed. I think I only have 50+ to go. On my way to work this morning as I'm traveling the country roads I found it funny how many "older" people were walking their driveways either to see if the paper had arrived or just out to get their morning exercise. How ironic is it that during our "working years" we dread having to get up so early and these retired folks love it. Maybe when I get to their age it will give me the extra time I need to crank some of these unfinished bags off the shelf.

My very first post......

2009-07-17T05:21:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to start a blog for months....I'm hoping it will help me share my love of all my favorite fiber hobbies. Here is a picture of a pinkeep that I just finished....the pattern is designed by Stacy Nash of Stacy Nash Primitives. It was so fun to do...I love the DMC colors she choose.