A "Kiss" and a "Tree"

The cross-stitch obsession continues. Yesterday I made two little projects - a tiny kiss to go inside a little "love" frame, and a tree made out of variegated yellow-to-orange thread.
The little kiss is framed in a 2.5 by 3 frame, so it's quite tiny. It was tricky to sew because I couldn't use an embroidery hoop. My hands cramped up a bit holding the fabric taut. But it whipped up fast.
You can find the design at Andwasisabi's etsy shop. I looove her shop, it's full of cute contemporary designs. I actually ordered a custom design from her - it's going to a birthday present for someone special. Her prices are very reasonable, even for a custom piece.
The tree is also an Andwasisabi design. I did it in a variegated thread on blue Aida to give it a little more texture and realism (although it's yellow, so realism is really out of the picture). Now that I've made it, I'm not entirely sure what to do with it. I made it on a 5x7 piece of cloth, but it looks lost in a 5x7 frame. And it even looks odd in a 4x6 frame. It looks cutest in a 4 inch embroidery hoop, so I think that's my best bet. I'm currently saving the three 4 inch hoops that I have for other projects, so this tree may get shelved for awhile. It's not like I can decorate where I am anyway. And the making is most of the fun!
Next up? I'm thinking some text: Maybe "it will all be okay"? That is my motto, after all. It would be practically a sin not to cross-stitch it up!

I'm back! For reals this time!

It's been, well, ages. Years. But I'm back. I'm living in Missouri again, but with a new husband (!!) and a whole new life. I'm going to be attending graduate school soon, but for now, my life is full of crafting. However, I don't have my sewing machine (it's in storage - long story, I'll get it back at the beginning of July), so I have to be extra creative and try new things.
I've become totally obsessed with cross-stitch, thanks to a couple of kits kindly given to me. At first, I was totally turned-off by the whole idea of cross-stitch - it seemed weirdly hard. But that was because the first kit I tried had 18 count black Aida (the fabric you cross-stitch on), and that was way too difficult to see. 14 count Aida, which has bigger squares, has become my dear friend.
The cross-stitch above is my first completed project, made for my beloved husband. It's a quote from a Ke$sha song, if you didn't know. Not bad for a beginner, right? It's not perfect - the whole text should be shifted to the right one square, and one heart is missing decoration, but Adam won't let me fix it. He says he likes seeing the progression of my work. Wait until he sees what he's getting for his birthday in September! Keeping this project a secret wasn't very hard - I just worked on it while he was at work, and hid it while he was home. I got the pattern for $3.00 from Bellastitchery. So worth it. The project filled three 8-hour days (I didn't work continuously, though, so the project didn't actually take that long). I initially wanted it on pink fabric, but the project instructions were misleading and I ended up running out of pink fabric on a first draft before I realized that the pattern was too big for the fabric I'd cut. So that was sad. But maybe it's a touch more manly this way?
I've also been working on some top-secret presents for a bunch of dear people in my life, so sadly I can't post about those, lest they read this and spoil the surprise! But I have lots more cross-stitch patterns, including one that is guaranteed to make you smile, so there will be work to post soon!

Long time, no see

To all my loyal readers (all like, four, of you): Sorry for the absence of updates. I will be returning soon (oh, there is so much more pain to craft away now) with updates regarding decorations and presents from past holidays, as well as future projects. I now have access to a fancy new sewing machine that can do all sorts of interesting stitches, and those will be featured in some upcoming projects.This picture is a mini-taste of future updates. This was a Christmas present to a dear relative of mine, and now should be happily across the pond soothing her work-related headaches (or hangovers!). The pillow contains flax seeds, dried lavender and dried chamomile blossoms, and is encased in a washable slipcover (as shown - if you look carefully, you can see where the fabric overlaps, and that is where the pillow is inserted into the slipcover). The other side of this slipcover is black satin, so it feels nice. The flax seeds retain heat well, so the pillow also works as a hot pad when microwaved for thirty seconds. It can also be placed in the freezer as a cold pad. I made another of these, and both were well-received. (This one initially didn't induce much excitement because the recipient didn't realize it was handmade!). I intended to make two more of these for other people, but unfortunate events mean those people are no longer a part of my existence. So! I have extra fabric, and will just have to find more people who'd like a nice lavender, chamomile, or peppermint eye pillow. I am planning to make some variations out of flannel in fun shapes for some of the many kiddies in my life. It'd be more fun to have an injury soothed with something cute than a boring old ice pack, yes?