Finished Finishes

I so hope that blogger is working today! I have a finish and some finished finishes to share today.

First up is the tray liner project that we've been doing in Sampler Guild of the Rockies.

I ran into a bit of a "problem" while putting it together last weekend however, not enough of that gorgeous fabric for the backing! Yikes! So off I go to Joanns to see what I can find. Of course, I have no idea where I purchased the fabric as I have tendency to pick little bundles of quarters and fat quarters and go through that stash as needed. I think the fabric I purchased works though - I hope you agree.

I like it because it was a good blend of color and it had leaves on it as well. Another nice thing about this liner is that it can be folded in thirds and used as a traveling piece as well! I plan to make another one (I had another fabric I loved and couldn't decide between the two, so decided to make 2 of them!!! I know, I'm nuts!) This one will be much lighter in color so it will probably be the tray liner and this one will be the traveling "utility" bag. But it was a wonderful and fun project to do.

I also finished another one of my 15 January new start challenge pieces. This is a Lizzie Kate Flip It, October. Stitched on some type of even weave with the recommended overdyes.

Finally, a bonus. I've taken part in a couple of "day long" retreats put on by Fanci Mats. They are both free designs, but I don't have the charts at hand to remember who the designers are. The tulip pillow is filled with crushed walnut shells. The French one is finished with more stash fabric that I have that I think went very well with the design. They are photographed on my most recent stash purchase, A Schoolgirl's Work, Samplers From the Spencer Museum of Art by Barb Adams and Alma Alan of Blackbird Designs. I love samplers and am really looking forward to geting lost in this book in the future!

I'm now working on a birthday present for a friend that will need to be finished next weekend as the "party" will be held the weekend after. But that will mean no pictures for next weeks post - just in case the birthday girl is reading! My rotation has also suffered a bit the last 2 weeks with the additonal finish work and gift making. I'm hoping to get more work done on the Mary Wigham Wardrobe during the coming week. I still have 3 projects that I want to try very hard to finish the stitching on by the end of the year.

Also, this is Labor Day weekend in the States and I'm very much ready for a holiday day tomorrow. Our weather in Colorado has cooled off significantly since Friday and I'm totally excited about it! I'm just not a heat person and while Colorado isn't as bad as many parts of the country, it's still been too much for me.

For my followers in the USA, have a wonderful holiday and to all followers, stitch as much as you can and treat yourselves! Be good to yourself, your family and your friends and have a wonderful week.

Debby