MaggieM1750's stitchery- I've got photos

[Squirrel]

Great update Maggie Mr Snowman is coming along very well. The strawberry one is going to be pretty too. Great designs you have chosen for everyone.

[MaggieM1750]

Snowman is done!
Finished up the last of the snowflakes tonight. You cant really tell, but there is #100 blending filament in with the white snowflakes.
I'll be making this into a bellpull.. one of these days. The backing fabric I found matches the pink lettering.. certainly not your typical wintery colors.



Now.. what to work on next? I am thinking I'll finish up owls then do a few blocks from Mabels SAL. Or start on strawberries? sunflower? No.. I'd better be good and get another one finished before starting something new.

[vic]

You have made some lovely work, I like the owls and the snowman

[stitchingmae]

Great finish!!!

[bookknurd]

Great job! Can't wait to see what you start/finish next.

[Nachstenliebe]

Very cute! Perfect finish in time for Stashmas coming up.. Oh and Christmas too

[rcperryls]

That is going to be a great bellpull! I love pieces like this that make me smile just by looking at them.

Carole

[Rose]

ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!

[karen4bells]

very adorable!!

[Oriettait]

Great finish Maggie!

[vanessanjf]

Brilliant!!!

[MaggieM1750]

Here is an update on the Owls
There is another owl that is supposed to be flying off the end of the branch. Originally, I wasn't thinking I would do that one.. the colors are a bright grape-y purple.. and I thought maybe 4 would be enough. But, after stitching 4.. I think I need to do one more. So, I'll adjust the colors and finish the branch as charted and do the last one. I think it will look more finished. I also need to do a lot more leaves.
I have no clue what that black dot is on the fabric in between the last 2 owls. It was there when I started- thought maybe it would wash out, or it was a fuzzy.. but its in there and its not coming out. So, I'll try a stain stick and if that doesn't work, I was thinking maybe about adding a branch with leaves poking down. Or, maybe I'll just leave it- dark spot and all.



And I've started on Strawberry towel. Adjusted these colors as well. They called for really bright and orange-y reds for the berries. Not at all what I would consider a berry red. So I switched 'em. There will be a lot of backstitching in this one as well.. perhaps I should get working on it so its not such a daunting task at the end. Thanks Rose for sending me this pattern.. it fits this towel perfectly!



I've also been shopping at my soon-to-be-closing LNS
This is my latest purchase
The piece of maroon fabric is HUGE! Not quite sure how I will use it but I've got a lot of it. I think its 22ct hardanger, or 28 ct something. I bought it 3 days ago.. and its on the tag.. why should I remember.



And, this is the other thing thats been keeping me busy. Canning! It was somewhat of a forced project. My freezer door in the basement had been open for about a week. I think when I tried to cram in a few too many bags of strawberries and the door popped open. (Really, my freezer was looong overdue to be defrosted. I should have done it over the winter when I could just throw everything out in the snow for the afternoon while the freezer thaws.. I didn't and paid the price!!) Most of what is in my freezer is fruit- for canning and jamming. So, instead of waiting to jam in the fall when the temperature drops, I had to do it in August. Ugh.. standing over hot pots of boiling water, and boiling jam is not fun when its 90 degrees! But, I had no choice- either do it now, or lose all that fruit.

So.. along the back.. strawberry-peach jam, raspberry jam, green beans, peach pie filling. In the front.. applesauce, apple butters, raspberries in syrup, cherry pie filling, apple pie filling. Canned- but not in the photo.. peaches in syrup, pears in syrup, corn, and a few more jars of green beans. Whew that kept me busy!

[karen4bells]

Oh what a great haul from your soon to be closing LNS!!! I especially loooooooooooove the santa mill hill kits---may I ask how much they were and if they have any left??? I've been eyeing those for a while just waiting to find a good price on them.
You really found a lot of great items!! Fabric is very very pretty!!!

Your updates are sooooooo sweet too, loving the owls!!

[MaggieM1750]

I ordered the Santas. Jill, the shop owner had been thinking of placing one last order for Mill Hill kits she had her eye on, and when I asked about these she placed the order. I think she only bought the sets for me, I didn't see any extras. (And.. full price for special orders.. I think each kit was maybe $7-8)
And they were a total impulse purchase.. as I had just ordered a bunch of other Mill Hill kits in maybe July.. I certainly didn't need 6 more! (I'll justify by saying the more I buy now, the less I'll have to buy at crabby shop, or pay shipping on.. so how's that for girl math!! Buying now is saving me money)
But- years ago, my grandmother had painted a set of ceramic santas from around the world. A ceramics studio opened up near her house.. you bought whatever piece you wanted to work on and paid $5 for each painting session. They supplied all paints and glazes, they kept the piece there and fired it when you were done. She made a bunch.. 12-15 of them. And they are big.. maybe 16-18" tall. So these are a nod to her santas. I am not sure when I will work on these. Or if I will give them to grandma, or to mom, to my sister, or keep them myself. I guess it all depends on when I get them done.

So, for that last owl.. thinking maybe orange and golds? Purply reds? Don't want to do another green. We've already got blues, pinks and browns.. whats left?

[bookknurd]

Wow, you've been busy! Great stitching update, and it's always lovely to see someone else's stash enhancement.

Is canning hard to learn how to do? It's something I've thought about trying to do myself (though I might wait until I have a bigger kitchen).

[MaggieM1750]

Without even knowing what your kitchen looks like.. I'll tell you.. If I can do it in my TINY galley kitchen.. anyone can do it. But it does take a lot of space, and I used to take over my kitchen plus my table all day. This year, I have moved outside to my canning table that I dad built me in the garage. Seriously.. its the best thing EVER!! I started this thread about it. The photo on the bottom is jamming at my mothers house- she was gone for the weekend and has a much better kitchen so my friend and I went to her house to make jam.

I've only been canning 3-4 years on my own. Plus 2 years that I looked on, over my aunts shoulder and took mental notes from her. And just as I do with my stitching.. most of what I can, I give away to friends and family as Christmas gifts.
Its not hard to learn.. but be prepared for mistakes (like jam not setting, jars not sealing). Fruits, jams, pickles and tomatoes are the easiest. All they need is a pot of boiling water to process the jars. If you have a tall soup pot, you wouldn't need to buy much to get started. Vegetables and soups need a pressure canner- and those can get expensive.

But try it! Grab some books from your library. Look up canning websites.. I look at Ball Canning, and Simply Canning quite often. I've subscribed to my Extension office web newsletter. I follow people and post recipes on my Pinterest board. There is a lot of information available (thanks to the increase in localvores, preppers and survivalists, and people tightening up home budgets looking for ways to stretch their dollar)

[bookknurd]

Thanks for all the info! I'll look into it!

[kiwirach]

your owls are adorable

and wow to all that canning!! good job - all those pie fillings! yummmm.....

[LadyS]

You've been busy! Great work on everything!!

[millymolly]

very cute snowman