Learn to Cross Stitch!

Over the next couple months I will be releasing a How To series called "Stitch From Scratch".  Learn to cross stitch step by step.  Including videos and photos!

If you have ever wanted to learn, here you go :)

1. History of Cross Stitch and My Credentials  [Release: Jan 3]
2. Materials
1. Cloth  [Release: Jan 3]
2. Thread or "Floss"    [Release: Jan 10]
3. Needles and Hoops    [Release: Jan 17]
4. How to Read a Pattern    [Release: Jan 24]
3. How to Cross Stitch
1. Beginning, Stitching and Ending thread    [Release: Feb 7]
2. Half Stitches    [Release: Feb 14]
3. Blackwork    [Release: Feb 21]
4. Patterns
1. How to create a pattern in Photoshop    [Release: Feb 28]
2. Free pattern to try    [Release: March 7]

Follow me in facebook, twitter or bloglovin to get updates when I post.  :)

Stay tuned for Friday!
-Teresa

2014

I'm really not one for resolutions.  I do, however, like goals.  I have a few of them this year.

This blog is like another one of my children.  But as I have another very small child and one larger but very energetic child this one is really the one that's getting the raw deal.

I've only ever blogged about 50% of what I've worked on or ideas I've had.  So I'm setting a goal to blog more.  But only if there is substance.

This year I had WAY too many "look at this pretty thing I made" and not nearly enough "this is how you make this pretty thing".  In my former life I was a corporate trainer.  One of the things I loved about that profession is the ability I had to organize and pass on knowledge.  That is what this blog was originally intended for.

I have some tutorials and informationals set up in my head for the coming weeks.

So here is my personal and professional goals for this year.  (cause really, it's the same thing).  So, you know, they are there and real and such.

1. create and blog more projects with purpose and substance
2. create an organized work flow to make my blogging experience more rewarding and less time consuming
3. learn more about design and color
4. work out and eat better for my health and sanity

Of course these can all be broken down to much more specific bullet points but I think that covers everything.

Goodbye 2013, Helllllllooooo 2014.  Happy New Year from us.

Let's do this.

(Jeff, Violet, Teresa and Wes)

Pixel {small} People: Cousins

This is the first pixel (little) people I did.  It's of my nephews, my daughter and my son.  It's a gift for my parents to put in the playroom they created for these kids that they love more than I thought a person was capable of love.

Aidan is 7, Derek is 4, Violet is 2 and Westin is 2 months.

It's 5x7, 14ct cloth and I used Martha's template.

I like it :)

Ladies Glasses Pattern

A lot of people have off work this week.  And if you are anything like me you need something to keep your hands buy.  Why not try this?

This is the glasses pattern on which I based the project on my last blog.

Now I have it for you for FREE.

Please head over to Craftsy to download a pdf version of my ladies glasses.

Please let me know what you think of the pattern and link back after you have completed it.

I love these glasses!

Cat Eye Glasses {heart} Mustache.

I've always been a little ahead of trends.

When I was 12 I started wearing black lipstick in 1994.  With my hyper color. And my perm.

When I was about 14 I started wearing dresses over jeans.  That got popular about 5 years later.

When I was 16 I painted my room purple and installed black and white checkered tiles.  In the basement.  It was freezing.  That summer I worked at Tinseltown in North Aurora.  And their whole motif is purple and black and white tile.

I'm not bragging.  It's a curse really.

I love hexagons, neon and neutrals, chevrons and mint green.

And I love cat eye glasses and mustaches.

I finished this in a 6" hoop and gifted to a couple of people that don't mind that it vaguely (alright maybe not very vaguely) looks like a face.

I really really love these colors together.  I want to just BATHE in it.

You can find the pattern for the glasses here. For FREE!

First Friday in Aurora

My hometown is pretty artsy. There is still a stigma about it being dangerous because the gangs were kinda bad in the 90s. You may also think of Wayne's World or even the railroad. We are definitely a blue collar hard working town.

 Nowadays, when you go downtown you are more likely to bump into an artistic installation than a drug deal. on December 6th I participated in an art show at. Two Brother's Roundhouse . The only restriction is that the piece should be 6x6. These are my entries. I sold one crochet piece. I'm a little happy the blackwork wheel didn't sell. :)

Oh Christmas Tree

A bit ago I gave a pattern for a blackwork Christmas Tree.

Of course I started the tree before I did the pattern, so It doesn't match.  I finally completed it.  And I HEART it.  I gave it to my mom :)

The best part is that I used my Kreinik thread.  All the metallic is Kreinik and it turned out beautiful.  I enjoy working with the tread.  Everything from the fact that it's in a spool to the different weights.  Love it.

I kinda love the back.

Random Free Pattern! Instagram logo!

Just a little sumthin sumthin.

Here is mine about to buttoned.

And your slightly improved pattern.

Enjoy!  Let me know how it turned out.  :)

Embroidered Christmas Card

I don't normally send Christmas cards. I always intend to but never do. In October, I cleaned out my random scrap booking stuff and found these. I don't remember if I sent them or just bought them.

The simple design is cute, but I think my parents and my husband's parents would like to get an even better design. I completed one before Halloween and get too involved to finish the other one. :). 

Now lets see if I actually SEND them.

Renegade Craft Fair Outing.

First of all Chicago hates us. 

Hates our guts.

I've lived 20 miles from the city all except 2 of my 32 years. Every single time I have ever gone in for any event something has gone wrong. Knowing this I did everything I could think of for our trip to Renegade.  I checked admission, strollers, parking, and address before leaving the house.  

It decided to snow today.  A lot.  

We get there, find a great parking spot, go inside the building and it's totally empty.  I text Becca from Hugsarefun and she tells me I should be at the Pulaski Field House.  OMG.  SRSLY.

I'm at their OFFICE.  Not the show.  So I nurse Wes in the car, then we drive across town to the field house, look for a parking spot for 30 minutes, park, walk half of the 3 city blocks and realize I forgot my wallet, Jeff goes back for it and Wes and I go inside.  In a blizzard.  We left the house at noon.  Get in the place at 3:15, shopped, left at 5:45 and got home at 8. 
Longest day ever.  But totally worth it.  My husband didn't complain one time, but instead told me he just likes to be with me.  Even if we are stuck Chicago in a blizzard with a screaming infant.  Aw. 

Enough talk, this is some of my favorites.

There were so many beautiful things, I got ideas, inspiration, a candle, and some lil earrings.  :)

earrings from wibblebirdstudio.etsy.com

candle from miltonandmargies.etsy.com  Buttercream Mmmmm

I can't pass up a free photobooth.  magbooth.com

A ton of business cards

Pixel People Christmas Present.

I really like little cross stitched people.  Whether it's Welittlestitches or Martha Stewart style.  They are adorable.

I made one for my brother in law and his wife for a Christmas present.  I was very excited to give it to them and they seemed to like it  :)

Here are Phil and Tiffany with Vi as a baby.

And in pixel form.

They are stitched on 14ct adia with 2 strands of DMC and placed in a 4x4 frame from Target.  :)

Color of the year annouced!

I'm a nerd for this stuff for sure.  Pantone has announced it's color of the year.

Radiant Orchid what are you going to do now?  "I'm going to Disney world!"

Seriously though.  I'm sure Radiant Orchid will have a wonderful year speaking at school and wearing her crown.

Pantone has been the authority on color since 1963.  They are one of my favorite follows on Instagram and I want to buy all the things in 15-6114.

Instagram has arrived for Windows phone.

Woot! Come follow me @daisiesforviolet to see all the little things that don't make it to the blog. And the babies, of course there will be photos of the babies.

All the pretty colors.

As a teenager you are asked what you listen to.  What's your favorite band?  That's easy.  Old? The Beatles.  New?  Type O Negative -and- Nine inch Nails.  It's too close to call.  

As a kid other kids ask, whats your favorite color?  Hmm, that's tricky.  What other colors is it going with?  How long will I have to commit to it?  What am I wearing?  As a kid I would say purple, sometimes red, rarely green until I discovered teal or gray.  

As an adult this problem has only gotten worse.  I often just stand next to the floss and stare at all the shades.  Or get over whelmed with the picker in Photoshop.  I am absolutely sure The Beatles, NIN, and Type O negative are still my favorite bands. 

But colors?  

Today it's these.

<33333

Blackwork Christmas Tree Pattern

At 31 years old, last week, I purchased my first Christmas tree. 
It was on a great sale from Michaels.  With two kids it felt like it was time to start caring about Christmas. 

With that I've decided to make a ornament each year.  Some day I will be gone and what else will my kids have to remember me by but a box of ornaments they will be obligated to keep in the back of the closet.  They don't even like embroidery, but Mom made them.

So, here is the first:  2013

I've started it and will post when finished  :)

Sewing: Flannel Blanket tutorial

I found the cutest fabric for Violet's blanket.  She has a few of them, but none are really warm and he loves yarn to death so this was my solution.

Her birthday is tomorrow (!!!)  So I'm calling it an early 2 year birthday present.  

The fabric is flannel from Joann's I got a yard and a half and its the perfect size for a toddler bed/crib.

First I took pics and uploaded it to the blog, always the first step. Duh.

Then washed them.  Prewashing is one of those things that I've never done before but always seems somewhat important.

Then put them together.  You want WRONG SIDES OUT.  You are going to turn it inside out.

Next pin it up.

When its pinned you can start sewing.  Start like half way down the smaller side.  You have to leave enough open room to flip it inside out when the sides are sewn.

Sew it. 

I used this little blue take to tell me where to sew.  I matched up the shorter fabric to that spot.

When you get to a corner sew it at an angle to give you a nice rounded edge.  (If you read my blog you know I don't sew much. 
If I could do it again I would would make this more round.)

But this gives me the opportunity to show you how to do this extra special little trick.

Stop, pop the foot up but leave the needle in the fabric, move the fabric, pop the foot down, sew, pop the foot up, turn the fabric, sew.  

This is what it looks like;

Pop the foot up.

Back down and sew.

Back up and turn.

Back down and sew.

There it is!

I always do this on corners.  So handy.

Don't forget about the space need to flip the blanket inside out. Sew around and flip it.

Next we are going to sew around the edge again.  It will secure it and make it look pretty.  

First iron the edges to make it easier to sew.  When you get to that open space, iron it in so you can close it up.

I did this run a little closer because it isn't the stitch that keeps it together so I didn't have to depend on that.  I wanted to make sure I was running over the excess underneath.  

Done!  The whole thing took about 45 mins.

I asked her if she wanted her new blanket for bed.  She said uh huh!  Never says yes.  Just Uh huh.  I'll take it.

Happy Birthday Turtle!