Last year was the first time we took Evie to see Santa. We didn't think it would go over well when she was younger, but last year she was two and old enough to be excited about seeing him. Well, she was excited the second time around, especially because he gave her a candy cane and toy cat. The first time, she wasn't so sure about him. This year she is much less apprehensive towards Santa and couldn't wait to go see him. Mira is the one who's a little wary now. ... Read More
I've been a slacker lately. Well, with the blog at least. On the non-internet side if things, I've been extremely busy. I'm almost done with all the Christmas gifts I wanted to make (plus I keep adding more projects to the mix!) Also, Evie was sick last week and now that she's finally on the mend, Mira seems to have gotten it. Never a dull moment around here... After Christmas there will be a whole slew of blog posts showing off all the different presents and projects we've been working on over here, but there's still a week before that happens! So in the mean time ... Read More
So I've started making a list of 2014 goals, and one of the items is to get my thread organized and to acquire all 454 DMC thread colors. Usually when I go to the store to grab a color for a project I grab a couple extra colors too. They're only $.37, how can I pass them up? Well, I started noticing that in doing so, I gravitate towards the same colors. So I downloaded the app XFloss and I'm slowly going through and cataloging all of my current thread. Then I can look at what I don't have and make a shopping list. I also started wrapping my thread a new way. I ... Read More
When I received my review copy of Mollie Makes: Woodland Friends, I also got the other Mollie Makes books and they are all fantastic. With Christmas fast approaching, I thought it was the right time to tell you about Mollie Makes: Christmas. There is still plenty of time to pick up a copy and make some fun holiday crafts! ... Read More
I'm kind of hexagon obsessed right now. I made a few English paper piecing hexagons recently and now I want to make all the hexagons! When we were cutting out ornaments the other week, I remembered that Evie has some Play-Doh cutters in different shapes. I dug them out and was delighted to find a hexagon. Unfortunately, most of the ones I made and intended on painting got cracked. However, I made one hexagon that I poked holes in for cross stitching, and that one came out unscathed. It could use a little sanding on the edges, but otherwise I think it's pretty ... Read More
If you wanted to buy some handmade cross stitched goodies for Christmas gifts, you still have time! But not much, so hurry! Saturday December 14 is the last day to place your order to get it in time to get it for Christmas. There's tons of stuff in my shop, but here are some of my favorites! Rainbow Chevron Cross Stitch Necklace White, Grey, and Turquoise Geometric Heart Cross Stitch Hoop Pink Kitchen Mixer Cross Stitch Rainbow Cloud Pendant Cross Stitch Kit Framed Rainbow Chevron Cross Stitch Striped Drop Cross Stitch Necklace Bow Tie Pendant Cross Stitch ... Read More
This past weekend was the Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market in downtown Chicago, so for the third year in a row we made the trek. After a quick detour to visit The Needle Shop, we made our way over to Pulaski Fieldhouse in the snow. We got there early in the day and hoped it wouldn't be too busy yet, but it was already crazy. Since the holiday market is indoors, it's much smaller than the September outdoor Renegade fair. There were a lot of familiar vendors that I either remembered from the September market or from last year's holiday market. It was harder to ... Read More
The first Friday of December really crept up on me! I was planning on designing something more festive and Christmasy, but instead you get a vaguely Christmasy, more nerdy pattern. I watch through a lot of shows on Netflix and Hulu+ while I'm cross stitching and I recently rewatched all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. I really wanted to make a Buffy cross stitch and I made a huge list of possible ideas. I started stitching this one up but got distracted by all the Christmas presents I'm working on. This quote comes from season 5, episode 9, "Listening ... Read More