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originally uploaded by Bette_h.

Whew. Just put on the last beads. Took longer, way longer than I had planned. I really need to remember that I am a slow stitcher with a lot of other things eating into my stitching time. Now when does the new Just Cross Stitch Ornaments magazine come out, as I need to start stitching for Christmas exchanges RIGHT NOW! Now I just have to put the Just Nan Project together ready to send off to the States.

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originally uploaded by Bette_h.

Wow! Has it really been a month since Stitches and Craft. This is a photo of this year’s stand. This photo was taken on the last day. As you can see, I am in desperate need of some more models. Expecially as I will be retiring 3 or 4 of the ones on you can see here.

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originally uploaded by Bette_h.

I recently participated in a Mattress Pincushion exchange over on the Hooked On Exchanging Blog. I received this wonderful pincushion from Ina in the Netherlands, along with a Dutch magazine, some Bubble stickers, beads and a packet of Dutch licorice snoepjes. The pincushion has been beautifully stitched and put together and now takes pride of place in my cushion basket.

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originally uploaded by Bette_h.

Back in July, around about the time of the Craft & Quilt Fair, I started the Little House Needlework Design “Always & Forever”. If you check out the picture on the cover of the chart, you will see that it is stitched in blue. Those of you who have been following my blog for quite some time will realise that my preferred colour is red. So I changed the colour to Crescent Colours Apple Fritter and this is the result. It was finished a while back, but I am only now catching up.

I cannot remember which fabric I used, but I think it might have been Lakeside Linen’s Navy Bean.

Once again, a quick reminder … yes I know, you will be sick of me reminding you.  Don’t forget to change your reader or bookmark.

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originally uploaded by Bette_h.

Several weeks ago, I joined the LHN Neighborhood SAL. I have been meaning to post my fabric and thread choices, but kept forgetting. I have chosen to use the recommended DMC floss, but am using 32ct Heritage (I think) linen from Stitches and Spice.
PS - Don’t forget, I am retiring this blog soon, so remember to bookmark www.needleworkboutique.com/musings

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originally uploaded by Bette_h.

Head on over to www.needleworkboutique.com/musings to read about my visit to the Art Deco exhibition on Friday.

Finally we have been able to sort out the problem with the blog.  DH has been working on it for almost 2 weeks!  In the mean time, I have set up a new blog over at www.needleworkboutique.com/musings. Over the next month, I will be referring you to the new blog, planning to put this blog to sleep at the end of October.

Usually I like to write my own tutorial, but this week I am doing something a little different. I have been talking about putting together a sewing basket for my daughter, and one of the items that I was looking for was a needlecase. I have a lot of patterns that I have bought over the years, but recently, I found a needlecase tutorial that was just about perfect for what I wanted. In trying to locate this particular tutorial, I have come across several others that look good.

Splityarn has one for a circular needlecase.

A very simple needlecase tutorial can be found at Wink Designs.

Tipnut has a list of 26 needlecase tutorials that you can find on the web, including this great hussif tutorial.

I finally found the tutorial I had been thinking of at Focus on Finishing.

I decided to keep looking to see what else was available, and came across one made from a cigarette case. Nice!

Patternbee has a sweet felt heart needlecase that will be fun to make one day. I might even give it to my daughter to make.

If you would like to try out your French, then head on over to ‘I’ll cross that stitch when I come to it’ for the wonderful list of finishing techniques listed here.

Hmmm, that little foray into the world of needlecases and needlebooks has led to an increase in blogs to visit.

Until next time.

My young daughter has started embroidery this year at the Guild.  To my surprise, she absolutely loves it.  Her awkwardness with fine motor movements has not dampened her enthusiasm.  So as her birthday approaches, I have decided to put together her own sewing basket.  I did not want to get her everything I have at once, so I had to plan what to buy…and what to make.

I decided that for a basic sewing basket, I needed to get

• scissors
• needles - embroidery and tapestry.  I bought a card of assorted sizes for each type of needle
• pins
• measuring tape
• basket or some other form of containing her needlework and tools.  (I ended up with a basket because I could not find the alternative I had wanted.)

I also decided that rather than buy a pincushion (for about $3.00), I would make my daughter one.  I also decided to make her a needlebook and went looking online for the needlecase tutorial that I wanted, but that is the subject of another post.

I have had alot of fun putting together my daughter’s sewing basket, it will be interesting to see what she thinks.