Prim Bunny (A Free Sewing Pattern)

Can you spot the burlap rose on my little prim bunny? I ended up painting, staining and then baking my burlap strip before making the rosette. I wanted it to more closely match the bunny itself. The osnaburg and burlap both have such wonderful textures but I wanted them the same color. I think it makes just the perfect bushy bunny's tail, don't you?

There are many prim bunny patterns like this one, especially this time of year. This is just my interpretation. I contemplated little french knot eyes or a stitched nose (both of which would look very sweet) but at the end I always choose less.

I love the way she came out, especially her lines. I was a little concerned sketching the pattern. Sewing curves is not my favorite thing to do and I don't think there's a straight line anywhere in there. Her curves are soft though and I had no problem whatsoever stitching her up. I think they give her such a graceful look and are most likely the reason I've decided that she is a she. Of course yours can be a boy. You can leave off the tail entirely, if you wish. Or perhaps some wool roving? I think she would look sweet with a little rusty bell tied around her neck or a burlap saddle over her back. My bunny is painted white then tea stained but how about a brown or black bunny?

If you would like to download the free sewing pattern you can do so from my Free Patterns page. As always, if you have any trouble downloading the pattern just send me an e-mail at appleseedprim@yahoo.com and I will e-mail you a copy of the pattern. I'd love to see what you guys come up with so be sure to send me photos of your finishes. For now, it's time for me to put away the sewing machine and get back to stitching. I'll share my progress with all of you soon enough but now my stitching and I are in much need of some quality time :)

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Burlap Rose Tutorial

I wanted to share with you how I make a burlap rose. There are so many tutorials out there already but the most common way I've seen it done leaves a very large base on the rose which wasn't going to work for my purposes. This particular technique is common as well, though it's typically done using ribbon. I figured, why not give it a try. This is only my second tutorial and my first where I had to take photos of myself as I was doing it. Bear with me on the quality of the photos and just ignore my little sausage fingers :)

Start with a strip of burlap. The larger the strip, the larger the rose. Mine was bout 3/4 inch wide and about fifteen inches long and I ended up with a rose about an inch in diameter. I laid my strip out on my work table and labeled each of the ends so that you can follow along more easily.

First step is to take the top end (End 1) and fold it over the strip to form a right angle.

Next, fold the bottom end (End 2) over the right angle fold.

Then fold End 1 back across End 2 and continue folding in the same manner until you run out of burlap. You'll end up with a little "package" like the one in the photos below.

On one end of the bundle you'll have your original right angle fold.

On the other end of the bundle you'll have your last fold and two little burlap tails.

Release the bundle and you'll have a little accordian snake that will keep it's shape.

With one hand grasp the last fold, where the two tails meet, between your thumb and forefinger.

With your other hand hold the tail that forms the last top fold, the tail that is laying over the other tail.

Finally, while holding the one tail, push down with the other hand. The folds will began to gather to form the outside of the rose as the center of the rose is being pulled through. At the end you should have a little rosebud that has one really long tail and one shorter one.

I hope my instructions weren't too confusing, but if it doesn't work the first time, keep trying. If you've never used this technique before to make roses I suggest you start with a piece of ribbon. It's a little easier to work with and will give you an idea how it's supposed to work. Once you have the technique down you can move onto using the burlap. It also works nicely with a strip of fabric. Now the burlap does fray but that just adds to the prim. There can be threads left popping out of your rose from the burlap and when that happens I simply trim them away. Depending on what you're going to use the rose for you can either glue the folds in place (my least favorite choice) or put in a few stitches to hold it all in place. For my purposes I laid the two tails (now at the bottom of your rose) up against one another and ran it through my sewing machine a few times as close to the base of the rose as possible then snipped the tails as short as I wanted them.

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing with you what I ended up using my burlap rose for. You might want to make a few of your own in the meantime since I think you'll like what I came up with :)

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Samplermakers Spring Stitcher's Challenge

Some of you might remember the Samplermakers Autumn Stitcher's Challenge that I hosted awhile ago. It was so much fun I decided to host another. Now, Spring is not my favorite time of the year, so designing the motifs was a challenge in and of itself. The photo above are just a few of the free patterns offered for the challenge. What do you think?

Now this challenge is open only to members of Samplermakers. I know quite a few of you are already members and I hope you download the free patterns and give it a try. I loved seeing what you came up with for the Autumn Stitcher's Challenge and I'm hoping your new designs help me get in the spirit of Spring.

If you're not a member of Samplermakers just e-mail me at appleseedprim@yahoo.com and I'd be happy to send you login information. Just sign in and start socializing! It's a wonderful group of stitchers that, though they have been quiet as of late, are a real hoot once they get going.

For all of my blogger friends I have a sewing pattern coming in a day or so, perfect for Spring, so be sure to check back. Most people (I've been told) feel rejuvenated by Spring. I get lethargic, but am trying to stay motivated. The more projects the better but without all of you to share them with I'd probably be sulking on the sofa with all the blinds pulled down. So thanks for being my own personal cheering squad. I don't know what I'd do without you guys.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Keeping Threads

The arrival of the new threads from Gentle Arts was the perfect excuse to continue my organization. My threads are already (reasonably) well organized into little shoe boxes. I tied painted scraps of fabric onto the boxes to denote what colors are stored inside. The threads themselves are stored in little baggies; it's the only way I've come up with to keep the skeins and loose threads all together. Whenever I'm working on a project I simply take out the box of the color I'm looking for and sort through until I find the perfect one. My problem arises in that I usually have to take out several before I decide and the "rejects" are simply tossed in a basket to be put away later. I have such a basket in almost every room of my house, as I'm always chasing the sunlight throughout the house when choosing colors. The basket in the photo is just one of many and I'm ashamed to say they were all overflowing.

What seemed a reasonably simple task quickly became something more. The boxes already house more than one color thread: green and blue, orange and yellow and so on. Both to fill the box and to make color placement easier. Still I end up with a brown that is awfully golden, a blue so deep it could be black, and a green that could be brown. Of course, I think a large part of it has to do with my mood. I'll put a particular color in with yellow and then when I finally find it a few months later wonder why on earth it wasn't where it belonged in with the browns. I think I might be making this more complicated than it needs to be :)

I decided to pull out of the boxes all of my DMC threads and store them somewhere else. Where else I haven't decided yet. I also took out all of my Gentle Arts Simply Wool threads and am now keeping them with my wool scraps. I use them almost exclusively for wool applique so this just makes more sense. Or at least it does to me now. Aren't the colors beautiful? They're slightly different in color than their cotton thread counterparts. I don't use them very often but after seeing this photo I'm wondering why not.


I've tried so many different ways to organize threads and am always searching for the next "better" way. How do you keep your threads?

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Gentle Arts Spring 2012 Colors

As I promised, here are the new colors from Gentle Arts. I apologize for the late afternoon light but the mailman came a little later today than usual.

Burlap is a very golden brown. To me it looks like strong tea with a little cream in it.

Carriage Black is a faded black that when put up against a true black actually looks blue. (That sounded a little confusing when I read it back to myself). It's very similar to Weeks Dye Works Onyx.

Linen, to me, is the most interesting of the three colors. I had expected an off white but both skeins I received were a very, very subtle pink. I would say they most closely resemble the color of cherry blossoms. Speaking of cherry blossoms, they are blooming here. Before moving to this area I had seen so many photos which of course don't do the beautiful blooms justice. But then again, the photos don't make me sneeze.

They are lovely colors this year and I am already considering swapping Burlap with a color in an upcoming sampler design. I imagine I'll be using Carriage Black as well given how I love the look of faded black. Anyone have their own favorite?

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Starting the day an hour behind . . .

I have to admit I don't really understand the reasoning behind Daylight Savings Time. I've read articles that explain it has economic benefits as well as reduces power usage. I've also read article that say those benefits are negligible and that the practice itself is antiquated. I, personally, would be more than happy if they just did away with it all together. I despise starting my day and already being an hour behind. I feel as though I've been deprived of something I was wholly entitled to. Oh, what I could have done in that hour. An extra hour in Autumn and a whole extra day in February . . . wondrous . . . but today I'm grumpy. My husband says I think on these things far too much. He may be right. Besides, even waking up later than usual (according to the clock) and still feeling groggy, how upset can I be when this is the sight that greets me outside the bedroom window.

Clean white branches dotted with buds in a beautiful shade of green against a clear sky. I suppose being deprived of an hour is small price to pay for the other gifts of Spring.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Free Tulip Pattern

This is just a little tulip I stitched during my daughter's nap yesterday. I adore tulips but am not really a fan of Spring patterns. I find it particularly difficult to design or stitch for Spring given I don't enjoy the pastel colors so commonly associated with the season. I do like pale green and struggling to find a color for the tulip itself I finally happened upon orange. I usually consider this color reserved for Autumn but just a shade or two lighter than a pumpkin tipping slightly towards yellow and I think it makes a lovely Spring color.

If you would like to download the free pattern simply visit my Free Patterns page and click on the link below the photo of the stitched piece. As always, if you have any difficulty downloading the pattern please e-mail me at appleseedprim.blogspot.com and I will send the pattern to you as a file attachment.

Things have quieted down here (at least for a little while) and I am patiently waiting for the new Gentle Arts threads I ordered to arrive. I am considering using one of them in a new design and I will be sure to share pictures of them as soon as the postman gifts them to me. I adore new threads and feel a bit silly being driven by anticipation to check the mailbox a few (dozen) times a day. But you understand, don't you?

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Miss Littlebury's Beau

I've finally finished this little sampler. It took forever! It's a small, simple stitch. I was just so uncomfortable stitching in such bright colors I would often forgo stitching on this little piece for another of my projects. If you remember, the inspiration came from some 1930's reproduction fabrics I had in my stash. I adore the fabrics but I am much more accustomed to stitching in duller shades. As I said, I wanted to challenge myself by going outside my comfort zone. I still contend it's a good idea, I just now have a desire to stitch a sampler all in shades of brown :)

I just kept telling myself that all those antique samplers I love were originally stitched in colors just as bright. I do think I will stick to stitching reproduction samplers that look as though they've already been aged through time, but I do like the way this sampler turned out.

If there are any other adventurous souls out there who, perhaps with Spring approaching, would like to try a brighter sampler I am offering Miss Littlebury's Beau as an e-pattern for $6.50. I will have the sampler posted on My Designs page soon but in the meantime if you would like to order a pattern for this sampler please e-mail me at appleseedprim@yahoo.com.

Next I have planned a little sewing and perhaps even some punch needle. While continuing to sort through my things I happened upon a huge stash of weaver's cloth and can't bear to see it sit in a box any longer. In the meantime I have a few free patterns to finish up to help everyone welcome Spring so check back soon.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Antique Textured Picture Frame Tutorial

I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted. It's been busy around here. This time of year has a birthday seemingly one right after the other. January 10th, February 12th, March 1st, April 5th and April 6th. It seems that before we've even finished the last batch of cupcakes I'm off baking the next batch. I really should be baking a few more batches now for Jeremy's birthday party tomorrow but . . . I just couldn't keep away from my projects another day.

I wanted to share a quick tutorial with you . . . a finishing technique for an textured antique frame.

Supplies:
frame, any size
latex paint, any color
plaster of paris powder
steel wool or sand paper, fine or medium grade
gel stain or brown shoe polish

I started with an inexpensive frame I picked up someplace awhile back. I didn't paint a base color since the frame had already been stained a light brown. If your frame is unfinished or if you dislike the color of the frame you can paint a base color. Then paint a few coats of your main color, mine was a basic white.

Nice, but too bright and shiny for my taste. I used steel wool to sand away some of the white so the undercoat of brown showed through. Once you've applied the topcoat it will be difficult to sand though to the base color so it's best to do it now.

The topcoat is made of 1 cup of latex paint the same as your main color and 1 tsp of plaster of paris. I used a plastic spoon to measure and mix; nothing too precise. You can add more or less depending on how much texture you want. Now this is obviously more than you would need for an picture frame. I make up a batch and then store it in a small mason jar to be used for other projects. Closed tightly the plaster of paris will not harden but if it does get a little thick you can simply add water until it's the right consistency.

I simply painted the topcoat onto my frame. The texture will adhere to certain parts of the frame and you can always dab more on where you want it. If you added less plaster of paris, it will go on like regular paint with only a slight texture to it. If you added more it will be more like smearing icing on a cake. Either way look greats, it just depends on your own preference. Now I let it dry and then gave it one last sanding focusing on the areas I sanded the first time to bring that base color out. I then rubbed some shoe polish onto it for aging; it gathers in the texture quite nicely. Now, here's the tough part. Plaster of paris does take awhile to set. If you do not allow it to set fully the topcoat will peel right off when you sand. I'm an impatient person so I put mine in the oven on a low heat which certainly sped up the setting process.

Here's a closeup of the frame:

For now it's hanging in our living room with a few old family photos displayed inside. I love the look of frames without backing. I am contemplating another project to accompany this one so this frame may serve another purpose soon and I'll be sure to share.

I am feverishly trying to finish a sampler I've been working on for weeks now. It's so small I can't imagine what's taking so long. Perhaps it's all the cupcakes :) I just have a few more stitches and then the finishing. Hopefully, I'll be sharing that with you next week. Until then, I hope everyone is enjoying these last few weeks of Winter.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Inspired . . .

I had a plan. I knew the only way I was going to get anything done this past Summer with the children home was to be very organized. I knew I wouldn't have much time to create; I also knew I couldn't spend any of that time looking for things to create with. So last Spring I spent two days sorting, folding, labeling, cataloging, putting like with like, and bundling projects together . . . and it stayed that way most all Summer long (yeah me!). Then came the start of the school year, dance lessons, the rush of the holidays . . . you know what it's like.

Just the other day my husband was running around the house looking for some paperwork. I had it tucked away in a folder for him. I know where my daughter's glasses are and my sons' homework. I can recite everyone's schedules and can rattle off an inventory of our entire kitchen pantry. I know the amounts and due dates of all of our bills and can tell you what we're having for dinner a week in advance. Of course I spent three hours this past weekend looking for my prairie cloth. I did find it (eventually) but had managed to make an even bigger mess in the process. Mina, my two year old, helped a good deal in that department. I find burlap rather itchy; she couldn't stop rubbing it on her feet :)

I'd long since given up the idea I was going to sew up the doll that afternoon and instead gathered everything I had found before I found my prairie cloth and organized it in this little tote. I think it's time for another sorting. Hopefully, I'll be much more productive afterwards and even if I'm not is there a downside to spending a few days admiring all my goodies? I find things I forgot I had and I get a fresh perspective on things I see every day. I will most certainly be inspired to create and with a little bit of luck be able to find the things I want to create with!

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

My husband is sneaky . . .

My husband is quite sneaky. My Valentine's present along with these lovely flowers and some chocolates (most of which were eaten long before I could take a photo of them) was the BBC Series The Hour on DVD. Though my husband and I watch BBC America quite a bit I had never intended to watch this particular show. It was complete happenstance I turned on that first episode one evening this past Summer but within the first fifteen minutes I had already decided I was staying up late that night to watch the remaining episodes through our cable company's "on demand" service. I enjoy the show very much and of course had to start watching it that very evening. Now for the sneaky part . . .

Most evenings my husband and I watch television together I'm stitching, so he's relegated to his side of the sofa, opposite me. Now he knows that The Hour is a show I enjoy so much I will not stitch during it, leaving my lap free of linens and threads and available for him to rest his head in. The series is six episodes affording him at least three nights of my running my fingers through his hair instead of stitching. Sneaky. This isn't the first time he's done it either. We seem to have a growing collection of movies and television shows that I will not stitch while watching. Sneaky, sneaky. My husband rarely comes right out and says what he's feeling (he says it's a by-product of being British) but I think this is his way of saying he's jealous of my stitching. His most recent attempt to rid himself of his rival will most likely affect my productivity over the next week but to be honest I would much rather snuggle with my husband than stitch most any night. Just don't tell him that . . . there's a few more DVD's I'd like to add to our collection first ;)

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Happy Valentine's Day!

Young love . . .

I'm sorry I've been so quiet lately but it was chaos last week and this week is shaping up along those same lines. Unfortunately, I have nothing in the way of stitching to share, but thought this was appropriate for Valentine's Day.

Between my two sons I never would have imagined Benjamin to be the first to experience "puppy love". He's always been a bit of a loner, happy in his solitude, showing the most affection to his lovey, a stuffed puppy he's had since he was a baby. We were all a bit surprised when he started talking about a little girl in his class named Lily. Given the smile on his face whenever he spoke of her it was obvious to all of us she was special. Their friendship has grown over the last several months, on the school play ground, across the school lunch table and during play dates and birthday parties. Last month Lily helped his choose the guests for his birthday party and just last week Benjamin came home from school with "I [heart] Lily" scrawled on his arm. She wrote it for him, apparently. Whoever gets to school first will wait for the other at the door so they can walk in together, usually holding hands, but only after they hug. At the end of the day Benjamin holds the door open for her as they leave the school. I asked him awhile back if Lily was pretty. He giggled and said he didn't know how to tell if she was pretty. I told him that someone is pretty if looking at them makes you smile. He said, then yes, Lily was very pretty.

The picture above is of a Christmas card from Lily to Ben. On the inside she has written:

Dear, Ben

Mary Christmas you'r my B-frend. I love you. xoxoxoxo Lily

Benjamin made a point of showing me that there were four xo's at the bottom of the page and telling me that those meant hugs and kisses.

This photo is of one of Ben's writing project from right before Christmas. For those of you who find it difficult to decipher the handwriting of an 8 year old I will translate:

I love to make Lilian smile. I make her smile when we play together, when I tikle her and when we have fun together. I love to make people smile.

I know he's only 8 years old but I think he has the right idea. Who knew so much could be learned from the love letters of children? Is there really any greater joy than making someone you love smile? My son already knows that joy and I hope he carries that with him always. If there's anything I have learned about marriage it's that there are so many things that can get in the way of that feeling, that obscures the purity of just making someone you love smile. I have to thank Benjamin for reminding me of it . . . .

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

A free pattern and extreme aging technique

I've had an idea for awhile now . . . I wanted to stitch a sampler that looked old . . . really old. I began fussing with some scrap linen and a block of sandpaper. Yes, sandpaper, 180 grit. I use the same block when sanding my make-dos and dolls and what have you. I figured it would work on cross stitch linen just as well. After some trial and error I finally happened upon a technique that gave me the look I wanted. I lightly sanded the entire piece of linen in a single direction. I didn't want to put any holes in it (yet) I just wanted to thin the linen so it looked more worn. I then focused my attention on a few spots. I sanded in a single direction (either up or down or side to side, but not both) until I began to wear through the linen. Fair warning, my table looked as though a large dog had shedded its' entire coat onto it :)

Here is a closeup of the tears in the linen.

I continued sanding until I was happy with the amount of wear on the linen. I found that the side I sanded looked "fuzzy" no matter how many times I took my lint roller to it so I chose to use the backside. I sat down and began stitching, keeping the design simple. I intentionally avoided stitching too near to the holes in the linen but couldn't avoid it when I began stitching the border. I simply kept stitching until I reached the hole and then left the thread hanging. Of course I could have stitched a design first and then sanded but I like to look of "missing" stitches. When the sampler was finished I gave it a light wash in my black walnut dye and then brushed on more dye focusing around the worn areas. I thought ahead and stitched using DMC thread, fearing that the hand dyed threads might bleed. Now that I think on it, that might have given it an even more aged appearance. Hmmmm, perhaps next time.

Now, I wouldn't do this to a sampler that I had spent a great deal of time working on, but personally I adore the look of this piece. It looks lovely displayed. Throughout the day it's followed me from my bedroom, into the living room, and is now resting in the family room. It looks so sweet no matter where I toss it. I wouldn't drape a genuine antique sampler over a box on my mantel or lay it across a few books on an end table but this piece just belongs nestled amongst other prims.

I charted the little sampler and am offering it as a free pattern. Of course you are welcome to stitch it however you like, but I would suggest trying this technique if you enjoy the look, and be sure to let me know how it turns out.

If you would like to download the free pattern you can find it on my Free Pattern page, simply scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link below the photo of the finished piece. As always, if you have any trouble downloading the PDF file simply e-mail me and I can send it to you.

Our youngest is turning two next weekend so it will most certainly be a busy week, but hopefully I'll have a finish to show you soon. Until then, happy stitching.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Do you see what I see?

I'm not a photographer by any means. I love achieving a beautiful photograph but rarely ever do so. It's a talent, one I do not possess, but one I do covet. In an effort to acquire that talent (if that's even possible) I began a few months ago carrying my camera with me whenever I could. It was always within arms reach in the house, I took it into the yard when I went with Mina outside to play, I took it when I walked the boys to school . . . needless to say I had quite a few photographs on my memory card. I finally got around to downloading them onto my computer the other day. As I scrolled through the photos I noticed something about a few of them, each taken months apart. I put the photos side by side, transfered them into grayscale, played with contrast and exposure (I love photo editing software) and so I ask, do you see what I see?

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

My Tattered Suitor

He's a scraggly little man, dingy and worn.
His heart (along with some of his stuffing) is bare for his love to see.
Perhaps not the most striking suitor to be seen, but adorable nonetheless.
We can only hope the object of his affection agrees.

This is a very simple pattern. My original idea was much more . . . elaborate. On days I feel particularly creative all my ideas get jumbled up with one another and I have a tendency to focus them all on a single project. Once I get to working, though, I am always drawn to the simplest expressions. The single appliqued heart said exactly what I wanted to say in the plainest way possible and when it comes to prim isn't that always best?

I'm offering the doll pattern to you as a free pattern. It's a design that lends itself well to virtually any embellishment for any occasion. If you're interested in the free pattern you can download it from my Free Pattern page. If you have any trouble downloading the pattern in the newer format let me know and I'll be happy to e-mail you the pattern as a PDF attachment.

Feel free to use the pattern any way you like and be sure to share with me your finishes. I hope you enjoy him and I can't wait to see what you come up with.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Sewing machines and cocktail dresses . . .

There's some sewing going on in my home today, which means I have completely taken over our dining room table. As I took out my sewing machine my husband hastily removed his coffee from the table and sought refuge in the living room.

There's osnaburg, some scraps of wool, a few rusted safety pins, bits of twine, even a twig or two (I love crafting supplies I can find in my own yard). At the risk of sounding arrogant, I have faith in my stitching ability. When I sit down to work on a piece I'm relatively sure I'll be happy with the end result. I have no such faith when it comes to sewing. I always have butterflies in my stomach as I run the fabric through the machine. There's always a moment of panic as I turn right side out and begin to stuff whatever I've sewn. I wonder if it will turn out at all as I had intended it to.

For me, stitching is a comfy pair of pajamas whereas sewing is more akin to the cocktail dress that while I do like wearing am always checking to see how big my backside looks in it.

I'm never quite sure what the finished product will be when I sew, but whatever it ends up being, I'll be sharing it with you soon.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Valentine's Heart Garland

I've been promising a tutorial and I've finally finished it up this afternoon so here goes . . .

Supplies:
sheet music, book pages, or make your own
watercolor paper (if you're making your own pages)
coffee stain (if you're making your own pages)
heart punch or template for cutting
hole punch or a large eye needle
twine, ribbon, string for hanging

Here are the instructions for my Heart Garland made of "faux" antique music paper. I did try real antique music paper but the sheets I had were too thin and didn't take well to being sewn together so I had to come up with an alternative. I decided to use watercolor paper which worked quite well. It was thick enough to withstand having the twine pulled through it but not quite as thick as cardstock would have been. It also has a lovely texture to it, especially when aged. I simply sprayed both sides with a coffee mixture using a spray bottle and then "baked" each sheet in the oven for a minute or two. I then printed "The Wedding March" onto each sheet, front and back. You can download the sheet music I used here. I used a heart punch to cut out each individual heart but I've also included a template you can use to cut out your own.

I then layered three hearts together, making little "sandwiches) held with a paperclip. I used a small hole punch about every quarter of an inch down the center of the heart and then "sewed" the three hearts together using twine. I left about three inches between each heart as I strung them together and a tail on either end for hanging. You can also sew without pre-punched holes using a large eye needle though I would suggest using something thinner like ribbon to string the hearts. Fold the two hearts on the outside of the "sandwiches" away from the center to open the hearts and then hang.

Suggestions:

You can string as long a garland as you would like but if you'd like to make a garland more then five feet long I would suggest working in segments no longer than five feet. Any longer and the whole thing becomes unwieldy.

Cut the tip of your string or twine on the diagonal to create a nice point for threading through your hearts and then dip the edge into some white glue and let it dry. It will stop your twine from fraying.

You can also create a page of romantic poetry or verse to print out and cut into hearts. You can make every few words red and then print in color so each of your hearts have a little red in them. You can also use images of antique Valentine's Cards or intersperse a few hearts of images on a strand with sheet music or poetry. I think that will be my next garland.

Here's a closeup of my heart garland hanging under one of the shelves in the living room.

This is my first tutorial so I hope everyone enjoys it and that it was easy enough to understand. It's hard to believe Valentine's Day is already less than a month away. I still have so many things I want to finish to display around the house. I better get busy. Hopefully, I'll have more to share with all of you soon.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Retro Brights

This is a little peak at what I've been working at this past week. It's a small alphabet sampler I designed quite awhile ago. It was designed using a single shade of brown, which is what I tend to do when I haven't yet decided on a color scheme. I can spend hours fussing with color selection. I've found it's better at times to simply allow inspiration to operate on its own schedule and trust that whatever is missing will present itself in time.

The color inspiration for this piece came from these wonderful retro fabrics. I was rummaging through my craft room looking for my quilting scissors when I came across them. I'd purchased them years ago to make a sewing basket for my daughter. Though not entirely my taste I have always been drawn to these 30's and 40's reproduction prints. The resulting colors in the sampler are much brighter than I'm used to working with but every once and while it's good to take a less traveled path.

My computer is slowly getting back to her old self again. Just one or two more programs to install and several hundred files to move over from the backup drive . . . but at least she's working. I know I'll have to replace her sooner or later as she's getting on in years (in computer years, anyway) but the longer I can postpone that day the better. I've become rather attached to her.

I'd every intention of starting in on some Valentine's crafts to share with you but fixing up this old girl has taken most all of my free time. Hopefully in the coming weeks I'll have some finishes to share, projects to post, and hopefully a few tutorials as well.

Until then I hope everyone enjoys the chilly Winter weekend.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

A fresh start . . .

So this is how it was explained to me. The hardrive on a computer is like rows and rows of filing cabinets filled with files, each and every one of them necessary for the computer to operate. Now a couple of the files from my hardrive were "misplaced". As a matter of fact they were gone all together. They had been checked out and never returned and it was impossible to tell which two files were missing. As a result my computer refused to boot up and the only way to repair it was to reinstall the operating sytem.


My husband, my hero, my champion (do I ever owe him one) spent all day yesterday bringing my computer back to life. In a way my computer has been reborn, and is naked as a jay bird. There isn't a single thing on here. Not Microsoft Office Suite, not my photo editing software, not my design program, none of my files or photos . . . I need to stop now before I depress myself. Thankfully, all of my files are backed up regularly (again thanks to my husband). I just have to put everything back together again. I have chosen to look at it as a fresh start. Hopefully, it will result in a less cluttered computer. It will most certainly require several days worth of Mina's naps and perhaps a few late nights but my husband has promised to keep me in cups of tea.


Sooner begun, sooner done, so I better get to it. Wish me luck!


xoxo

Jennie Lynn