Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Wishing you all a very 

Merry Christmas & 

a Joyous New Year!!

May you be surrounded by beautiful memories & those you hold dear & may your days be filled with Love, Laughter & Happiness.

Here is a small gift from me to you.

 This was designed to go with my earlier designs "Noel" & "Merry Christmas" that you can see here:

https://smalltownstitchin.blogspot.com/2010/12/tis-season.html

 

heart = 321

X = 319

. = 676 & back-stitch on leaves (opt.)

0 = 729

lg. black dot = 680

As always my color choices are just a suggestion, so pick the colors you love most and stitch away. 

I would love to see your finished pieces.

Take Care Everyone

Hugs, Sandy

 

Stitchin' & TUSAL

Hello Again Everyone!

I haven't done a TUSAL update since May, so here is what I've accumulated since then.

Not a lot of thread ORT's, i've only been stitching during our camping trips.

What I have been doing most is getting hanging organizers ready to sew up and post on an upcoming Etsy shop by the end of the month. It's a bit scary but I received a tremendous amount  of interest after posting a pic on a couple of RV groups. 

Lots & lots of fabric pieces, and there are more that I set aside for making fabric flowers, mini pot grabbers, and skillet handle covers.

 

Here is the stitching I got done while on our last camping trip.

 

Two more bookmarks and two future magnets for the RV fridge.

 DMC variegated, colorist, and GAST threads. All my own designs.

I'll show some pic's of what I've gotten sewn up after I get several more finishes. Were going camping again soon and I'll be taking my sewing machine and iron, along with the table top ironing board so I can get some more sewing done.

Until next time.......

Take Care Everyone

Hugs, Sandy

New Ironing Board Cover

 Hello everyone; hope this finds you all well.

My tabletop ironing board needed a new cover after years of ironing damp needlework and other crafts it was looking very, very sad.

So not wanting to wait until I found the perfect fabric I did a "make-do" cover.

I used an old king sized pillow case that was at least 30 years old but still in great condition. I left the original thin foam pad that came with the ironing board but added two layers of cotton batting for a nice padded feel that won't let the grid pattern show or leave an impression when ironing.

First I turned the pillow case inside out.

Then I traced the outline of the old cover on top of the pillow case then added a 1/2"-5/8" stitching line (didn't measure, just eyeballed it). I stitched around on the stitching line leaving a 2"-3" opening for turning at the front. 

I then cut 1/2" away from the stitching line and turned the case right side out and pressed.

Went back to the sewing machine and stitched on the outline from the old cover to make a casing. 

I finished by pulling 1/2" elastic thru the opening and stitched the elastic ends together. I didn't sew the opening closed since it was brunched up enough to not show after the elastic was in. I tried ribbon but it was a hassle trying to get it pulled tight and tied off.

This only took me about an hour and cost nothing.

I'll keep the original top for when I find that perfect fabric.

Take Care Everyone

Hugs, Sandy

Stitchin' & Sewin'

Hello Dear Friends & Followers: I hope all is well with you.

So I got a bit of sewing done this month and stitching done last month and this month on our camping trips.

First off, I designed & stitched two Chair Caddy's for our camp chairs.

They were made from Fat Quarters and have snaps to hold them in place.

They will hold a book or some stitchin' and a bottle of water
or whatever your drink of choice is.

Also got in a bit of small stitchin'

 A bookmark for the Hubs and three magnets, all my original designs.
The bookmark was stitched on 14ct. perforated paper and the magnets were stitched on 14ct. plastic canvas, all were stitched using DMC threads.

That's it for this post, I still have to put up posts of our last three camping trips, they were all at Cottonwood Creek Campground outside Lovell, Wyoming so I have A LOT of similar photos to sort out.

Until next post.....

Take Care & Have A Great Day
Hugs, Sandy

Finishes for the 5th Wheel

Hello Everyone, Hope all is well with you.

Finished these off at the end of March. They will hang in our 5th wheel vacation home. They are my original designs using John Muir quotes and are stitched on 28 count with a combo of DMC and Caron Collection Wildflowers.

Finished as flat hangers.

Added a door charm, little metal stars, and a Moose button I cut the shank off of and glued down.

Stuffed hangers.

Added a key charm, but I might replace it with a compass charm at a later date. Didn't think the other two needed anything. Simple jute hangers on all.

Take Care

Hugs & Stitches, Sandy

January Stitching Finishes

Hello Dear Friends & Followers; 

I hope everyone is staying warm and safe in the harsh winter weather. We missed the Polar Vortex in southern Montana, but next week we're due to get some very cold weather so I'll make sure the wood box is stocked and make lost of warm drinks and comfort foods.

I did a bit of stitching and finishing this month and here are the results:

 Two more "Wintry Snowflakes" magnets.

Stitched on 14 count white plastic canvas using DMC white, DMC silver metallic, and my own hand dyed "Blue Spruce". They are backed with black felt and have a button magnet on the back.

Two "Harvest Pumpkins" magnets.

Stitched on 14 count white plastic canvas using DMC threads both solid and variegated. Backed with black felt and a button magnet on the back.

That's all on the stitchin' I've done this month, but have been designing many more charts to stitch during the year and maybe a few to share as well.

So until next post.....

Take Care, Stay Warm

& Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

A Valentine Small

Hey There Everyone, It's been cold here in Montana and we got a foot of that beautiful fluffy white crap early in the week that is turning into brown slush all over town. Luckily the highways that the hubs has to drive 5 days a week are clear.

Well, it's almost February so I thought I would post a Valentine gift for all my stitchin' friends and followers. It should be a fairly quick stitch using a favorite color, a variegated thread, or even with the threads I chose.

I added a small alphabet and numbers if you want to personalize it where the solid lines are.

I designed it with Dusty Rose colors using DMC 

150 - solid black circle, 

3350 - + (plus symbol),

 3731 - clear heart,

 3733 - x,

 151 - small black dot

(do not stitch the solid lines)

"Valentine's Heart"
41w x 40h

Hope you enjoy the chart.

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy 

2018 Smalls SAL for December

Hello Dear Friends & Followers;

Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season and are doing well. 

I thought we were going to get away without having a white Christmas this year, but at 4:30 pm on Christmas Eve it started to snow and left with a dusting for a powdered sugar landscape. It did the same thing on Christmas and left us with around 2 inches of snow. We've been here for 35 years and it would have been a first if it didn't snow.

Here is my final Smalls SAL update. 

Not sure if I will participate next year.

I stitched up two of my mini Quaker Snowflakes.

I will finish these with a ribbon for hanging and blue or white felt backing.

I plan to stitch a lot more of them and turn them into mini ornaments to add to a pine wreath to hag by the front door during the winter season and maybe a few magnets to add a little winter to the kitchen.

I finished off two other smalls that I stitched earlier.

"Merry Solstice" by The Primitive Hare

This is a free chart and can be found HERE 

 I stitched this one on 28 count Mocha/Beige evenweave using DMC Gold metallic 1 strand over 2 threads. I added a 1/4" gold ribbon hanger, two corded trims in rust, gold, and cream and a scattering of plastic crystal snowflakes. 

This one was stitched on the same 28 count only over one thread using my own hand-dyed thread. I finished it off with a 1/4" silver ribbon hanger, a silver ribbon bow, blue and silver corded trim, and a scattering of mini plastic crystal snowflakes.

And Finally 

They got arms !!!

I found a wrapped wire that resembles wood and shaped it into arms. It will do for now, I just need to bend/shape them a bit so they don't look like their being held up at gun point. I may make arms from the same batting later on but I'm not sure just yet. I'll live with them the way they are for a while and see how I feel later on.

Well, that's it for 2018, so until next time.....

Take Care & Happy New Year

Hugs, Sandy

 

Snowflakes for Winter

***Chart Correction***
I have replaced the chart with a corrected version. If you do not want to re-save or reprint the chart the error is on the first snowflake lines 23 and 24 on the right side should be two white stitches not three.
Sorry folks, but I'm only human 💕 

Hello Dear Friends & Followers;

Hope you all are doing well this Holiday season.

We're doing well. It's been very windy this past week with mild temps in the 40's & 50's. 

I decided to add a few snowflakes for the winter season.

Not out in the yard, thank goodness, or in my home, but as gift for all of my Cross Stitching friends. They could also be worked up with beads or in Needlepoint.

"Four Mini Quaker Snowflakes"

I designed them for 14 count paper or plastic in two colors:

open heart shape is White (background)

dot or square is color of your choice

Stitch with or without the white on fabric. 

These would make cute magnets, little ornaments, wreath accents, gift tags, etc. 

Hope you enjoy stitching them as much as I enjoyed designing them for you all.

Take Care & 

Have a Great Weekend

Hugs, Sandy

Meet Belle

Hello Dear Friends & Followers;

Hope this post finds you well.

After I finished making "Jingles" for my winter decorating I decided that he needed a friend, a lady friend.

So let me introduce "Belle" 

"Belle"

She might get the rosy cheeks treatment as soon as I buy some blusher.

She is made from the same natural cotton batting and stuffed with fiber fill from an old pillow. She wears dark red felt earmuffs with a braided jute band adorned with smalls snowflakes, a dark red felt scarf with fringed ends and a snowflake, and a dark red felt apron with lace overlay that ties in the back. She has a handmade orange felt carrot nose and sewn on dark blue button eyes. She is 8" tall and 6" across the bottom.

 

I still haven't decided on the arms yet, I have some twigs that would work, but would have to be very careful when packing them away so they don't get broken. We're going to town next weekend and will hit up the craft stores to see if they have any alternatives for arms. If nothing else maybe I can use brown pipe cleaners or something similar. Maybe some heavy wire or pipe cleaner wrapped in a single strand of jute.

"Jingles & Belle"

I think they make a perfect couple.

I call these "make-do" crafts since I had everything for them right in my craft room except the arms. I'll have to try a pipe cleaner wrapped in jute to see what that would look like, I have that in my craft room too.

Since I worked in a House of Fabrics for 2 years and a Ben Franklin's for 4-5 years I acquired a lot of stash.  

Thank you so much for stopping by today and maybe leaving your thoughts behind, I really appreciate each and every comment.

Take Care Everyone &

Have a great day.

 Hugs, Sandy

Winter Crafting

Hello Dear Friends & Followers

I hope all is well with you.

Since I haven't been doing any stitching since late October, I decided to do a bit of crafting. I love decorating for Christmas/Winter, but most of my decor pieces are Santa's of varying sizes, two Angel's, one Nativity and assorted pine boughs and wreaths. Not a lot to leave out for the rest of the winter months, so I'm trying to remedy that.

Here is my first try at making a more rustic winter....

"Jingles"

He's made from natural cotton batting, stuffed with fill from a well laundered old pillow, he has a weighted bottom, a hat made from an old glove and adorned with jingle bells sewn on the finger tips and little snowflakes scattered on the front, a scarf made from purple felt and fringed on the ends with a bigger snowflake, sewn on button eyes and two more for buttons down the front and a felt carrot nose.

 

He stands 9" tall and is 7" wide at the base. His nose pokes out at 1 1/2".

I tucked the thumb inside the glove and stitched the opening closed then gathered the fingers together and secured with some thread.

I thought about a bit of blush for the cheeks and twig arms, but don't know yet since I can mock up he arms but pink cheeks are forever.

I think he's just to cute and want to make a few more.

Thanks for stopping by and having a peek.

Take Care Everyone

Hugs, Sandy

2018 Smalls SAL Update

Hello Dear Friends & Followers;

I hope all is well with you. 

Thanksgiving was just the hubs and I per usual with our families living in California and northern Idaho. Cooked a turkey with stuffing, corn, deviled eggs, gravy and rolls as sides. Peach Cobbler for dessert.

A nice quite day.

I haven't done any stitching in the last few weeks, but still have a finished piece for my November Smalls SAL update, which is a day or two late. Oh well, so goes life.

"Flower & Berry Vines"

Designed By: Sandra Longan Designs (ME)

Stitched on 14 count rustic aida using my own hand-dyed threads.

This little pillow will be sent to my 93 year old mother for Christmas.

It has a stitched patch on the back that reads "Always Remember" with my siblings and my name surrounding the words. My mother is in a memory care facility in Sacramento California suffering from advanced dementia. 

Thank you for stopping by and maybe leaving your thoughts behind, I really do appreciate all the nice things you have to say.

Take Care & 

Have a Great Weekend

Hugs, Sandy

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Just want to wish all of my friends & followers a very

 May you be surrounded with love and blessings

and be Thankful for all you have.

Here's a Thanksgiving gift from my home to yours.

Use your favorite Autumn/Fall colors.

79 stitches wide x 43 stitches tall

Have a Blessed Day

Hugs, Sandy

A New Halloween Gift

Hello Friends; Hope all is well with you all.

So, my laptop has been in the shop since Monday and I've not heard back from them yet. When the hubs dropped it off they said it could be a problem with Windows 10, said they've seen a lot of this with the PC's that had the upgrade from Windows 8/8.1 to Windows 10 from the factory. But also said it could be the processor and if that was the case the labor alone would cost almost as much as mine new, mine was $300 at Walmart in 2015. Hopefully it's the easier fix.

Since we haven't chosen a printer yet I'm back to posting charts the way I started.

I'll most likely replace this chart with a better version once I get a new all-in-one printer.

 

No part of my designs may be reproduced except by needle and thread without the written consent of Sandra Longan of SLonganDesigns@gmail.com 

"We All Go A Little Batty"

50 x 50 stitches

Use black for the Bats and choose your favorite Halloween variegated/hand-dyed for the words or choose four similar colors for an ombray effect.

I think this would make a cute knob hanger, bowl filler or ornament for your Halloween display.

 

As always, if you choose to stitch up one of my designs I would love to see a picture of it, so I can show it off and give others inspiration for colorways and finishing.

That's it for today, I hope you enjoy the design.

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

Quaker Snowflake Stitched By ......

Here is a picture of my "Quaker Snowflake" design stitched by Robin Brown.

 "Quaker Snowflake"

Stitched by Robin Brown

Robin you did an amazing job on this piece and I hope it graces your home for years to come.

Thank you so very much Robin for sharing your finish with me. 

I love seeing how my designs are stitched and finished by other stitcher's, so if you do stitch one of my designs send me a picture and it will end up on my blog and if you have a blog or photo page I can add a link so everyone can see all of your amazing works. This can help me and other stitcher's with ideas on color ways and finishing.

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

Smalls SAL August 2018

Hello Friends, Hope you are all doing well. 

Well our truck cost us $405. He had to drop the fuel tank twice and replace the roll over shutoff and there was something loose in the filler neck that had to be fixed. At least now we can fill up the tank normally.

Here is my stitchin' for the August edition of the 2018 Smalls SAL....

"If You Sprinkle"

Done in DMC and Caron Wildflowers floss on 14 count rustic Aida.

I winged this piece and made changes on the go while we were up in the Big Horns. 

The pine boughs and lettering are all different than my original design.

I'm going to finish the framing and then hang above the potty in the trailer bathroom.

I showed it to the Hubs and he asked if I was trying to tell him something, said nope, just thought it would be a cute addition in my attempt to add some rustic cabin flavor.

That's it for this post, so until next time.......

Take Care and Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

 

Always Kiss Me Goodnight

Hey Friends; Hope you all are doing well. 

I thought I would share one more design with you all for your summer stitchin'.

"Always Kiss Me Goodnight"

I have always loved this saying and plan to stitch this and hang it from the center cubby handle over our bed in the Vacation home (aka: the 5th wheel).

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

Smalls SAL for July

Didn't realize it was that time already, so here is my stitched finish for the July edition of the Smalls SAL.

I was playing with another of DMC's Coloris flosses.

Some more of my original designs.

This is the front and back of a soon-to-be needle book.

DMC Coloris 4513 with it's coordinating DMC solids 814,413, and 318. B5200 is also one of it's coordinators but I didn't use that color since it was stitched on white 28 count.

 This will be the inside of the needle book and will have felt pages.

This will be the scissor fob.

I am having issues with stitching it together, it's been a long time since I've made a fob and I cut the seams a bit to narrow.

You can see the hand made cording using DMC 814 and 413.

That's it for now, so until next time.......

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy 

Some Stitchy & Sewing Stuff

Weekend before last we went on our bi-monthly provision the cabin trip into the big city of Billings Montana. We went up to Harbor Freight where I found these.....

Couldn't pass them up at $1.99. They are about 6" long.

Then I got to stop off at Michael's. I was looking for DMC's 35 new colors and DMC said they were available there, well they were not so I picked up five of the new Coloris threads and a pack of plastic bobbins.

and this.......

A cute sewing box for the Vacation Home (aka: the 5th wheel)

I love all of the sewing and stitching themed sayings.

It has a tray inside and a small pocket and pincushion in the lid. 

And to make it even better the cashier flag a 50% off coupon. 

I stitched a small design to try out one of the new Coloris threads 4515.

 "No Matter Where" by Sandra Longan Designs.
I'll turn this into a knob hanger and hang it in the 5th wheel. I'm working on a scissor fob and needle case for the sewing box using Coloris 4513, I should be done with the stitching in a couple of days then on to the finishing.

That's it for today, thanks for stopping by the cabin and having a look around.

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

A Wandering Scissor Fob

Hey there everyone. 

Thought I'd share a scissor fob chart that you can stitch over the weekend.

"Not all who WANDER are lost" 

Uses DMC threads, but as always I encourage you to choose your favorite colors for fabric and thread.

It only measures 2-1/4" using 14/28 count.

You can find finishing tutorials for scissor fobs on YouTube or here Lynns scissor fob tutorial

I've never made a tutorial for one yet, but probably should at some point. 

Please Respect Copyright Laws.

Remember these are my own designs and I would love it if you would post a link to my blog if you stitch one of my designs.

If you do stitch one of my designs I would appreciate seeing your finished piece. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great weekend Everyone

Hugs, Sandy