I Wanna Go Back to my Little Grass Shack

Woohoo! I finished Jeremy's Sailor Jerry hula girl bookmark this afternoon! Ain't she grand? I backed her with a black and white geometric fabric. When you hold her up to the light she looks like she's playing ukulele at a swingin', mod Hawaiian luau. Her current residence is "South of Broad" by Pat Conroy.

Now I'm going to head back over to Cuba and work some more on my cigar box top. Stay tuned!

Making up for Lost Time

Since I've been a negligent mother to this blog for so long I thought it might be time to shower it with affection! Here is a quick wrap-up of what I've been working on - and finished! - over the past year. Yeah, year... Crazy.

I had started working on Mary Wigham many moons ago but it's been hiding in a drawer for almost a year now. Here's the progress...

I made these bookmarks as little going away presents for my parents...

My Dad has been in New Zealand now for over a year. My Mom left this past March.

I stitched these tiny quilts as a gift for my Aunt...

Then they were incorporated into this! Oooooh. Ahhhhh.

I sent this little piece to my Dad in NZ for his birthday last year. It sits on his desk at work :)

Towards the end of the Summer last year there was a "chain" post being sent around Facebook - make 5 things for 5 people and those 5, in turn, would make 5 things for 5 more people and they would make 5 things, and they would make 5 things, and so on into infinity. A GREAT idea in theory however too easy to back out on. I never got my "thing" in the mail but I did make 5 things for 5 people :)

I made this King Kamehameha cross stitch for George, who was born in Hawaii and goes back every year for his birthday...

This was for Rebekah, a friend from high school...

This was sent to Dave, a Halloween-a-holic...

I made this photo holder for baby William...

This was for Maggie, Jeremy's cousin...

And this went to cooking enthusiasts - and newlyweds - John and Melissa. So that technically makes 6 things. So sue me! :)

This saucy bookmark I gave to my brother for Christmas. He uses it to mark his place in school books. Hehe...

I tried my hand at making oilcloth tote bags this Spring. It was definitely a first attempt. I wasn't super thrilled with how they turned out - so "not-thrilled" that apparently I didn't take any pictures of them. I guess I'll have to do that now. Buuuuut, I did use the bags as an opportunity to make K+IC fabric tags!! Just fold them in half and sew them into a seam. I love them.

And, in 2010, I am proud to say I finally put some more stitches into my Cigar Box Art WIP. There's even been more progress since I took the picture below...

I did take a break from that to make a wedding card for my childhood friend, Val. She and her husband met in Baltimore. Awwwww...

And last but not least - drum roll please - I present to you my CURRENT WIP... a sweet little Sailor Jerry hula girl bookmark for my BFF, Jeremy. Don't mind her tiny arm, it's much larger now. She even has the makings of a head. I am stitching it over one on black 32 count. I know I'm crazy. But it's almost finished. There's no turning back now.

So I hope you've enjoyed my sprint through the past year and don't feel too abandoned. I am alive and well and hope to take much better care of my blog from now on...

... fingers crossed.