july, july...

Here we are, once again, changing the calendar over. This time Pleasing Paintbrush will adorn your computer's desktop for the month of July. He aims to please, and is a little sensitive (you know the artist type...), so be sweet to him! Download here.

And then just a few other things...



I finally got hooks and got the flags I made put up! They look a little patriotic, in time for the holiday, but not too much. The mustard yellow is a nice touch. They stretch across our entire front porch, plus I cut some off to go over the windows that look onto the porch. They are so fun!



This is just random. My family went to a parade on Sunday, and out on the grass, watching the parade, was this little guy. Isn't it just the cutest? And so funny to see a guinea pig amongst all the dogs that were out. I asked the little girl who it belonged to if I could take a picture...she thought that was fun. So I guess we're even for giving amusement!

sale and update on wednesday...

Whoa...July starts in just two days! Which means...I'm celebrating Christmas in July!

During the entire month of July, the Wild Olive shop is having a Christmas in July sale! All Christmas items will return...recipe and address cards, gift tags and embroidery patterns. Plus, there will be some new items: a tag set, an embroidery pattern, and digital collage sheets. All of these will be marked 25% off! AAAAAND...there will be multi-packs that will save you even more!

Yay! Now, I need to get back to work...this sale and update are all I'm thinking about right now...

things to do with embroidery...part four...

So, that fabric I cut for Sunday School? It was a hit! Our curriculum suggested making bandannas (our theme is camp), decorating them with paints (a bit messy) or fabric markers (too expensive for the number we would've needed). But then crayon tinting came to mind. Perfect! Here's what we did.

We started with lightweight muslin cut into 15" squares. Then I cut the squares diagonally. You could leave them full, but we were aiming to save money, and this way used less fabric.

I printed out copies of my Happy Campers embroidery pattern for the kids to trace in crayon. Some of them did, others made their own designs. Some even filled the whole piece of fabric. Then we ironed the designs between two sheets of paper.

Having hot irons out by the kids made me a little nervous, but they did good. It was only my brother who decided to see if it was actually hot. Lovely. Thankfully, he didn't get burned. Oh, and my dad made these great little portable ironing boards. I'll have to take a picture, because I know you'll all want to make one!

Back to the project. At this point the kids were done and ready to wear their bandanna. But for you and me...we continue.


Around my crayon tinting, I embroidered in backstitch. This is quick stitching, and no extra details because I was in a hurry. But you could add more. I even thought about stitching some words, like "please?" underneath or "I want" above the s'more.

The picture above shows it loosely folded because this is how I got mine ready to wear.

Here it is all tied. Much cooler than around the neck, don't you think? This is how I wore mine all day, and it's how the kids liked wearing theirs too. The boys and girls, Kindergarten-5th grade all loved it, so it would be fun for Sunday School, camp, scouts, or any time. (By the way, although my patterns and such are for "personal use" they can be used for groups like the list I've given...I'm all for sharing crafts with kids!)

I like mine so much that I'm going to be making more to just wear as an accessory. Definitely. Easy and cute! Love that!

a few little things...

This will be a mix of things to share...I'll try not to be too random!

First off, here's my progress on the planned quilt. The fabric is not quite all cut yet, but I'm about 75% there. I love how the little stacks of neatly pressed and cut squares look.



Today I felt like I was working in a fabric store, as I was cutting a lot of fabric. I cut out 120+ triangles of muslin for a project at church this Sunday. It's going to be soooo much fun! Next week I'll share the details, plus a version for you to try.



Now, check out this adorable card that Kristi sent me today! See the teeny bomb she stitched from my pattern? Eep! I love it! Thanks, Kristi!

Thanks also to everyone who has left those wonderful comments lately. It's reassuring to know that others get uber cranky in the heat too. And going back about a week, that you understand things taking longer than you want them to. You guys are the best blog friends ever!

my theory on hot weather...

It is hot. and humid.

This kind of weather does something to people. At least at my house. And it has caused me to form a theory. The theory is simple, and looks like this:

Heat = Disdain

Do you know what I'm talking about? It's as though everything that happens makes you feel terrible things about the cause of those things. And I'm not just talking about a little irritation here. I'm talking about despising something or someone. This is cranky to the tenth power.

Of course, when you pause and realize that the little person who is asking a question, or the computer that is running as hot as you are, or whatever, is only doing what they normally do, you can see that it is your reaction that is different. And if nothing else is changed, the cause is very likely the heat and humidity.

And so, I feel bad about the disdain I have felt. But I fear that I will continue to feel it as long as the temperatures are 95+ degrees.

Have you felt this?

would you believe...

...that it's 95 degrees out, and I'm thinking about Christmas? Yep, that's right. Much like last year when I was drawing Christmas cookies poolside. And why, you may ask? Well, let's just say that July is coming, and it's a good time for releasing some new Christmas items...and something else. It'll be good. I promise.

For now I'm back to thinking about cold. Maybe it will help. Hopefully it will help. It better help. Tomorrow I think I need to share my theory on what hot weather does.

things to do with embroidery...part three...

I've been working on these little guys for about 2 weeks, but wanted to wait to share them until they were finished and I could show the step by step process. But, oh I love them! These finger puppets are easy to make, and a fun thing to do with embroidery. Again, you could figure this out, but here's the step by step:

I made my finger puppets out of wool felt. I used my Food Friends - set 1 embroidery pattern, cut out around the pattern, then used that as a pattern for cutting the felt. I wish I had taken a picture of the stitching in process, but...forgot. Basically, I stitched through the paper and the felt, then carefully tore away the paper when I was done. OK, so I added the fill stitching and some details after tearing away the paper. My pattern was printed on regular copy paper, and it does work, but thinner tracing paper is a lot easier to work with.

When I finished stitching, I cut out a second piece of felt to match the first. You could cut both pieces of felt at the same time, but felt can stretch, so I played it safe and made sure it matched this way.

I figured out where the opening for my finger would go, and started stitching on one side. Where I started, I reinforced it with a few extra stitches, then continued on with an overhand stitch around the whole thing. Again, when I got to the other side where the opening would be, I reinforced the end.

Finished!

And here's the close-up of Stewing Soup. The satin and fill stitching took some serious time...for me at least.

These little guys are friends, and my favorite part is that they are going to have their own little show on YouTube soon! Now that they are finished, my brother and I are going to work on it together...can't wait!

UPDATE: My brother and I made just one video, and I couldn't convince him to do more. Which is probably for the best. My favorite part is that the credits are longer than the whole scene!

sunia embroidery...

Happy first day of summer to you! If you've been collecting the Fair Weather Friends patterns, you may have been wondering when more would come. Well, at last, Sunia is here! She's so pleased that it is finally her time to shine.

Click on the image above to get the full size pattern on Flickr.

a june workshop for you...

So, I almost feel bad calling this a workshop. Really, this is an embroidery pattern (for Stretched Embroidery Hoop...shown above), with a fun way to display your finished embroidery. It's inspired by some fun embroidered art pieces that I've seen on Flickr and Etsy, but because I'm in a hurry, for the life of me I can't find where to link to. You'll end up with a picture in a picture, er, well, an embroidery hoop in an embroidery hoop.

Download the workshop and start stitching!

for dad...

Get ready for a weekend of freebies! I've been working on things and now they are about ready to find their way to you!

We're starting off with a celebration of Dad! (To give you a couple days before Father's Day) Show your dad, husband, brother, friend that he's the best dad in the world with a printable World's Best Dad coloring sheet! It would also work well for making cards or even embroidery. Download the PDF.

And then here's the rest of the weekend lineup:

Saturday: June's Workshop (including a "Stretched Embroidery Hoop" pattern!)
Sunday: New Fair Weather Friend pattern
Monday: Printable Notecards going out to the Mailing A-List (sign up in the sidebar!)

Yay! I look forward to sharing these goodies with you!

everything is taking longer...

I know what you're thinking.

"Why does Mollie have a picture of a fire hydrant up on her blog, and what will this have to do with anything?"

Well, you may be right. This may be a strange connection for me to try and make. But here I go.

There are times when things just seem to come together. A lot gets done. There is a feeling of accomplishment.

And then there is now.

Right now everything is taking longer. I may be exaggerating, it may not be everything. And in some cases, it may just feel like it is taking longer because I just want it to be done. But some things really are taking longer.

My computer is processing slowly, so work takes longer. Stores haven't had things in stock, so errands take longer. Brain power is a whole other thing, so don't get me started on how long this post is taking to write! And I'll try to avoid how some of life's milestones feel especially slow to come along.

But the fire hydrant. This is one of a number of pictures of fire hydrants that I've taken lately. We'll call it a mini obsession. I've been taking these pictures for a few weeks, and have never posted them. It has taken longer to do this small thing. But tonight I decided that I could at least start with one.

This "one foot in front of the other" kind of thing helps when things are going slow and yet there is much to be done. This is what encouraged me to cut quilt squares today. I cut just two of the 18 fabrics, but it was a start.

It's late, and I feel as though I've gotten to rambling. But thank you for letting me ramble to you. Knowing that I can express these thoughts and feelings helps encourages me to continue to take the little steps that keep things going, even if it is taking longer.

things to do with embroidery...part two...

Do you enjoy reading during the summer? I do, although I'm not reading anything at the moment. I must fix that, but when I do, I'll be all ready with a new bookmark that I've made out of some recent embroidery. This is easy peasy, so I'm calling it my Easy Peasy Bookmark. It's another idea for things to make out of your pieces of embroidery.



Start with your stitching. For mine, I used Long-Winded Pinwheel from my new The 4th! pattern. To make it bookmark size, I elongated the handle.



Next, I took my finished embroidery and cut a piece of brown kraft paper to a similar size as my fabric. This was a bit larger than my finished bookmark would be. On the sewing machine, I stitched around the rectangle a few times. I went for messy.



Trim around the bookmark, leaving about .25" around the stitching.



Fray the edges.



And you're done! Start reading a good book, but not so good that you don't want to put it down. After all, you want to actually use your bookmark!

The nice thing about this is that there is very little finishing work. And the kraft paper gives it some stability. Now, if you want to see an all fabric bookmark made with embroidery that was looking for a use, check out the one that Tracy made. So cute!

happy flag day...

In honor of Flag Day today, I've just released a new patriotic embroidery pattern and digital collage sheet! They are called, "The 4th!", and are available now in the shop!





And check out what Kristi has already stitched up from the pattern!

new old treasure...

My mom came home with a chest of treasure for me the other day! (well, a chest plus a few boxes actually...)



This old small cedar chest was at my grandma's house. When I saw it, I remembered it immediately, but wasn't sure what I would find inside. It had probably been almost 20 years since I had looked at it, and in fact, I was probably the last person to do so. In addition to the items shown, there were also a bunch of stickers inside. Those don't make as much sense, except for the fact that they are all unused (see an old post about this here). But the other items show how long this crafty love has been in my system.



My favorite group of items in the stash are the Sampler Cards. These are thick paper cards, pre-printed for you to stitch on. They are from 1949 and designed by Anne Orr. A few of them are started (and i'm not sure if they were by me or someone else), but a bunch are still waiting to be stitched. The ones that are started have been done with embroidery floss, but I think that I would get something a bit thicker.





I'm planning on making these western themed patterns for my brother PJ. His room is cowboys, etc., and I think they would be fun all framed for him. Perhaps I've already found his Christmas gift...



In addition to the floss in the chest, I also two more (small-ish) boxes of vintage embroidery thread. Honestly, I'll never have to buy floss again. (and yet, I was looking at more tonight...crazy!)

Caregiver Kits are on their way...

Woohoo! All of the Caregiver Kits have been packed up, and sent off. FedEx came and picked up the boxes today, and I'm so excited! This fall I think I'll be doing this again, and hopefully we'll put together even more Kits. The labels on the Kits say that they are from the Wild Olive Family...that's all of you who helped by making a purchase (and my dear family who helped me assemble!). Thanks again, and enjoy a few pictures of the packing process:

progress is slow...

hmm...

I would like to be showing you some progress on things that I've been working on. But it's going slowly. So bear with me. There will be more moving forward soon though.

Things like...

a few new shop items
this month's workshop
fun things for the Mailing A-List
posts that are well thought out

OK, maybe not that last one.

seeing the light...

Last night I may have been a little ambitious in thinking that I could hand piece a quilt. Especially considering that I have enough fabric to make 34 ten inch disappearing nine patch blocks. So today, in the light, I've decided that I will machine piece it, and then hand quilt it. (because it makes it oh so quaint)



Also in the light, I took these pictures of the fabric that I'm going to use for the blocks. This was a pack of fat quarters that my mom gave me for Christmas one year, so they were already coordinated. And they were sitting around doing nothing, which means less money to spend on this "brilliant" idea of mine, and more room in the cupboard!

I still think I'm a little nuts to be doing this, but less than I could be. Right?

i feel it coming on...

Really, this is the last thing I should be thinking about adding to my ever growing list of projects, but I'm feeling the urge to start a quilt. Just a small one. Nothing too serious. After all, it's been years. But of course, piecing the blocks on the machine wouldn't be as fun as hand-piecing. Right? I have done this before, but...wow, this feels like commitment.

And yet, I'm holding fabrics at this very moment and wondering how I will resist.

i am not a vegetarian...

...but I could be. You see, I have this thing about meat. It kind of grosses me out in an "eww...dead animal" sort of way. I can eat it, but I can't think about it. These days, I'm only eating white meat. And then there's the cooking. This can be a challenge, because raw is even worse. I won't touch it.

Which is why I've been wanting to try out Martha Stewart's Black Bean Burger recipe for some time. Yesterday, I did. They were soooo good! If you like veggie burgers at all, you should try these. They taste wonderful and were much cheaper than the kind you buy (as in, around $2 for 15 burgers!)

I pretty much followed the recipe, except for a few things: I omitted the hot sauce, but added extra ketchup (it seemed a little dry to me). Also, after I made all of the patties, I popped them into the freezer for a while. Then I grilled them, rather frying them.

There were mixed reviews from the kids here (always!), but the adults all loved these burgers. Definitely a keeper. I might even make up a bunch to keep on hand!

just because...

Yesterday and today have been busy days, and tomorrow will be more of the same. Nothing exciting, just busy. So, I don't have much to share, except for this SeaSiders printable list PDF! It features Cordial Crab and Bored Bucket, and hopefully you'll be neither crabby or bored while using these lists.

Download the lists.

things to do with embroidery...

Sometimes when I'm working on an embroidery, people ask me what I'm going to do with it when finished. Sometimes, I don't know...I'm just stitching for the process of it. Later on, I might use these for another project. Sometimes I start out with a finished item in mind. Either way, I thought it might be fun to start a "series" of sorts that is all based on ideas of things to do with embroidery.

This first one is a project that I just finished. A stitched brooch. I've shown things like this before, and you could probably figure it out on your own, but just for fun, here's a few step by step photos:



I started out by stitching the hamster from my Jordnöts embroidery pattern. I used a lightweight muslin, then cut out around the stitching, leaving about 1/4" margin. I placed the cut out hamster onto wool felt, and trimmed that, making it about 1/8" larger than the fabric.



To the back of the felt, I stitched on a pinback. You could do this last, but it's easier to deal with threads at this point.



Then I sewed the embroidered piece onto the felt. I didn't pin it to the felt first, so it puffed up a little in the center. I love this. In fact, I thought about adding a bit of batting to make it puff even more.

You'll notice that it is frayed a little more in the last picture than in the freshly trimmed picture. That happened when sewing it together. Again, I love this. And, unless your brooch is going to rub on things a lot, it should be safe from entirely fraying.

Other ways you could do this:

Stitch directly onto felt for the top layer.

Make your brooch a little larger, sew right sides together and then turn it right side out.

Attached your stitched piece onto a thin piece of wood instead of felt.

Add your ideas in the comments!