Picture This....picture to stitcher-y tutorial

So i thought in celebrating along with storybook woods and whomever else, that i would do something Tasha Tudor-y. She was all about the hand made girls. Makes her own clothes, wool blankets {including shearing, dying and spinning}, makes dolls, --she is sort of where i
got the idea for doing the doll conversationals-- anyways. So i was thinking.......what could i do?
How about a bit of stitchery! So one thing led to another and here you have a little stitchery tutorial.

How To Turn your Home into a Stitchery

1} take a picture of your home. Digital if at all possible. Much easier, and the most immediately rewarding too.


2} Change the size to around 4 X 6 inches in size. You may choose to do a different size.


I used the good ol'fashioned PAINT program to do this. As shown below in a fuzzy shot of screen:

3} Print off picture in black and white --the size you would like. Oh ,isn't my home just so cute! That is a cherry tree in the front there...yup, it's a monster that keeps growing straight up even though we trim it.

4} Take a Sharpie marker and start drawing lines on all the major parts of the home + stuff around it. Like the roof, the chimney, the tree, the windows, doors....get the idea? Don't make me list anymore. Now, like the paint program we can move things around. go ahead. no one will check. I didn't include that 5 foot rosemary bush right under the tree.

5} Lay a blank white piece of paper on top of that sharpied black and white picture and put it on a light box. your arms will thank you later --you know, holding to the window-. Trace again. i know, but it will help! Just do it! If you look closely at this one and the finished product you will find some changes. There is a window in that big triangle that the tree was covering up! and i moved the sidewalk over so it was more 'centered'.

6} Now is the time to get that tea towel, cotton, muslin or whatever you would like and trace the pattern again onto the fabric. I used a mechanical pencil. Easy.

7} Put into hoop and stitch. Stitch like there's no tomorrow. I did add some 'architectural' details- like some shingles on the roof, some rock where the rock is, and some more round siding in the big triangle, and some lines on the windows. This helps take up big spaces, and makes them look a little better to the eyes. Don't worry about getting everything in it. You won't and it will look too crowded. Your mind does a great job of making some stuff up and it looking ok. So don't worry about it. I mean look at that funky vine growing up the arbor on the left. whatever....

8} Finished:

I have been thinking about this here stitchery and boy it has alot of possibilities..... great for grandma presents, even neighbor ones.....take pictures when they are gone or they will think you are nustoids, have a picture this party---everyone bring their own picture and you show then how to do it, oh, everyone is getting into framing their little things in HOOPS. Wouldn't that just look cute?! You could also do some way cute boxing around it with some victorian type print for the date or year or established....or some vinework

So get out there and take a picture and imortalize your home.

So this one now hangs in the kitchen. Not sure if i want to use it or not yet.

I think that is the hardest thing about handmades. You want to use them, you want to make useful things, but sometimes it take someone else grabbing it with dirty hands and face and wiping all their cooties all over it to get you ok with it.

(that didn't happen, but i just know it will)

* pst* if you make one share it with us!! we would love to see your home---only because we are snoopy blog neighbors really-- and we want to see your stitches too. what's your count huh? ok. that wasn't very nice. Mine isn't that great either....now don't go blowing up that stitchery picture....ooooooo

*pst-pst-- don't forget to join the postcard swap going on. Little art surprises in the mail! who doesn't like that?--

*pst-pst-pst---i need some help with the blog/website thingie. i will be doing a shout out this weekend and would love some helpful responses. Will you please help? i will let you know sometime when i gather my thoughts and questions and make a huge post of "give me's". j.k. but not really.

Emergency Sewing Kit

I am still in rewind mode girls sorry. This is wordy---But this does have a stitching ending!! Hear me out.

Last monday i took up Jerika and her cousin to a girl scout camp in Park City. Everything was going great....then a couple of clunks...hmmm...call the honey- hey, something is wrong...didn't want to forget to tell you later, then a little bit later......not much power...hmmmm..call the honey-- hey i really think something is wrong!, then as i was making my way up the hill to drop them off at the entrance---no power! car not moving!! stuck in the middle of the road!! ....hmmmm call the honey...hey, car dead! not moving! stuck in the middle of the road! girls still in car! They need to check in!!

After a few calls to salt lake and getting some numbers for the camp I called up---hey, i've got 2 girls and they are stuck down the hill 5 minutes---no problem! we'll come and get them!! Aren't girl scouts the best?!! Someone shows up, we get them loaded, and off they go for 5 days. Me, i just wait for 2 hours for the tow guy to show up. Some guys got a chain and pulled me off to the side of the road further, and i waited, and waited, and waited. Boy what a waste of TIME!!! I did talk to my mom for an hour and a few others to keep the time passing. but, ugghhh!! luckily it was in the canyon so it was sunny, with a view, breezy, and i had water (drank too much and had to pee though).

Do you know what though? Do you know what i didn't have? An EMERGENCY SEWING KIT!!!!

So from now on ---

This will be staying in the car, well, until it is finished and i'll swap it for another one.

Lynette Anderson Block of the Month

Everything is put into this handy dandy

----baby changing bag---

It has zippered pouches, lays flat, and slips into the side of the door pocket nicely.

Just so no one else has this problem---you get out there right now and stuff something into that car! That's right, a magazine, some stitchery, some thread...some--thing!!! Save yourself from lost hours. Grab that diaper changing carrier thingie that you won't be needing anymore and convert it to the car stitchery kit! How's that for up-cycling?!

Oh, hey, i could grab this and work on it when waiting for soccer practices.....appointments.....you know....life stuff.


*pst- the car is in the shop--something about a transfer case--just as expensive as a transmission- who knew? why doesn't this happen to men? you never hear those kind of stories--i don't at least. hmmm.

Oh my golly ---Dolly!!

Went on a little outing by myself today...some me time. nice. Especially after COOKIE BOOTHS!! Girl scouts of course. Fun and busy. I just sit there and let the girls do it all. Lucky them. Anyways. back to the story....me time.....

Spent a few bucks- on some patterns.

**Got a GREAT doll pattern. I am a sucker for these things, i just can't seem to help it. This one is Packed with great stuff though....

This was origionaly printed in a color ad in the Woman's Day Magazine in November 1975. You had to order the the pattern. Doesn't say how much this little bundle of goodies cost then. There are 8 patterns total of different dolls. Each having thier own outfit and a few extras, like a cape and a bonnet, and doing clothes the easier way with linings..you know, stuff like that. There is even a mini doll. All parts are there too. lucky me. I have been lately facinated by others patterns, construction method, and clothes...oooo clothes.

** I also got a second doll pattern. (Pink one on the left.) Wasn't as great as the first, but still cute. Nice to have reference to. There was an order form in there for other patterns. I wonder if i could find those, there were some interesting ones.

I also picked up a few patterns for Jerika....dress jumper and skirts. Will share some critique if and when i get something made. Soon hopefully.

And a little embroidery stitchery for her. I think she might like doing something like this.

Well, me time is over and off i go to make sure the riding of 4 wheelers in the back yard isn't causing any injury.

Distraction---again

I get too distracted. I say one thing and do another.....like i am going to quilt this weekend. Then....something in my mind gets attracted to something else, and just like that...no quilting.

This is what i did instead:

A bit of Stitchery....

Found here at Wee Wonderfuls.

Resting yesterday for just a minute, i heard Eliza yell out...not sure why...mermaid! Do you know what popped into my head? Oh, how about a smappy mermaid-----but of course.....


What do you think? She is missing her 'shells' and tie strap on the back. Will be making a few of these until i get it right.

Can't decide what i love the best...the tail, or the little curl in her hair.....

Jerika cooked these for us today.

Fried bananas.

Quick recipe:

heat butter in a pan. Slice bananas and fry on both sides until golden. Sprinkle with Cinnamon and Sugar. Eat. Not a bad little 'treat' for a change.

The idea of quilting has passed me by this weekend and i feel like this week too. I have a few more things i would like to 'try'. Too bad for the quilts, they will have to wait.

We had a birthday at the house too. Ammon turned 7!! We will be going to a movie tonight together and out to dinner. Fun stuff.

Watch they're gonna get ya!

I finished last night the 2nd block of the month stitchery from http://www.lynetteandersondesigns.typepad.com/ blog.

how cute is that!! I am actually liking this stitch thing. These are so small and petite. love that!

Went to quilt group last night. We worked on making flannel rag quilts to donate to the Festival of Trees in the fall. There were a few who stayed a little longer and gabbed and sewed and gabbed some more. Nice to get away and really do nothing, but enjoy other sewers company.

OHHHHHHH, let me tell you. i think i might have found a new obsession. i am not sure what is wrong with me!! he he...

I was looking around in the blog world and popped onto someones site. She was chatting and mentions Japanese Crafty books. So of course i had to look into that! welll, YA. so after a little hounding on Etsy, and then on Ebay and then in the cyber world....i think i Love Japanese Craft books. They are nuts! they are of course, written in Japanese (no suprise there) BUT WAIT--- they have wonderful pictures and step by step pictures for the projects. so if you are able to get past the language barrier----you could make some cute stuff. I think that i want to get all the books i like and have them printed into english. How cool would that be!? so here are some links that you might want to look at concerning the books.

http://www.craftlog.org/craftingjapanese/

http://simbiosis-lifeinasmalltown.blogspot.com/ scroll down on her talking. she show off her books. by the way she has WAY cute stuff on her etsy shop and she is having a sale.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZcharmingbabe click on a book and you can check out their wonderful pictures and such.

I am going to put a disclaimer on here:

If for any reason you become addicted to these books, I claim FULL responsibility!!

Don't say i didn't warn you!