Welcome Back

 Hello Everyone   If you are a returning visitor, I'm glad you're here.  And, welcome to new readers that have found me.  I guess I haven't  posted since blogger switched to this new format, and it was a stretch for me to get the photos into my blog.   Hopefully they will publish at the right size.   

This is one of the quilts that I made last year.  This is a pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew, and it was a fun, easy stitch.   The Welcome sign came from Joyfully Said in Middlebury, Indiana.   I'm really missing my annual fall trip to that area of our state, and I know those of you that gather in Shipshewana for our Jane Stickle retreat are missing our time together, too.  

I have to confess that I haven't really done much quilting since last winter.   I've done a few things, but I have mostly been doing counted cross stitch.  I am a returning stitcher from back in the day when it was really popular.   The difference to me now is that there are patterns out there that don't take months to complete.   There are a lot of small charts out there to stitch, and there are also a lot of charts posted on line for free.  

The photo below is from my Drawer of Shame.   I stitch these things and put many hours into them, and then they immediately go into a drawer so I can move on to the next project.   Those of you that stitched years ago know that we would stitch on one project and then take it to a framer to be framed.  If we stitched something that was a standard size, we would go and buy a frame and mount the stitched piece on sticky board and frame it ourselves.   Today, there are all kinds of things that people are using to mount their cross stitch.  Then there is usually a bow and a decorative pick inserted somewhere on the piece.  Sometimes the bow has a covered button in the center or other little do-dad.   Soon I will start to finish these and post them when they are completed.   If I don't get a move on, that October piece will be useless until another year rolls around.   

I have a box of cross stitch things from years ago that I've saved.   These 3 pieces below were in that box.  Do you think it would make a cute wall hanging using all 3 pieces, or would you frame each one individually?   

The box of things I saved had about 10 bread covers in it to be stitched.  I have some old patterns from back then, too.   I hope to stitch several of them.  

I watched a video about dyeing cross stitch fabric in a pickle jar.   After I watched it through the first time, I waited for a week or so and watched it again.   I already had a couple bottles of dye and decided it was worth giving it a try.  This is really addictive, and you can probably tell by looking at the photo, I have accumulated more than the first two bottles of dye that I started with.

I have made some project bags.  My friend, Michele and I make 2 of the same bag and trade.   That way we both have a nice variety, and it's fun to see what fabric combinations the other comes up with.  

If you are cross stitching, let me know.   I've hesitated to post cross stitch here because even though this blog is called Loose Threads I have mostly posted about my quilting in the past.   I'll get back to it again some day, but right now I am having lots of fun dyeing fabric and cross stitching.  

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

I hope you are finding some time to stitch today.