A few weeks ago I posted a story with very graphic pictures.  I warned you ahead of time so that the ones with very weak stomachs could escape with the warning.  This post is somewhat of the same nature.  The pictures are graphic.  But this time, I am warning those who are weak of heart.  Your heart will hurt for one of several reasons.  I have told you and posted about my little grandsons many times before.  I have a 1 year old Cullen---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then  there is Caden.  He is 7 and will be in the 2nd grade this year. 

 When he grew big enough for a big boy bed, I made him a pillow case.  He has used it ever since.  I made him a new one with footballs on it!  ---his very favorite subject, but he never used it.  He could not give up his old one.  Cullen acutally took the pillowcase and is now using it. When it got so bad that I knew one more washing would get it, I decided to try again.  I didin't have enough of the original fabric, but I made do and made this pillowcase.

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NOPE!  No success--Cullen inherited this one too--He loves it!

I thought surely that he would like it well enough at least to use when the other one needed a wash and maybe mom and dad could slip it into the favorite place and discard the old one. Caden's pillowcase was washed and washed until finally it gave it up. Be careful of the next picture

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The white you see is some quilt batting that I used to try to patch this poor pitiful pillowcase back together.

The next pics are so bad I am truly ashamed to show them to you. 

This is the edge that he chews on--YUK!  He has sucked, chewed, dropped, drooled, carried, dragged, and hugged this pillow.  Not to mention sleeping on.  Nana decided to try one more time and I told him so.  Only one more time.  Even though I told him fabric is fabric and the reason he loves this fabric so is because it has been washed 100 times, he insisted that I get the same fabric as the old one.  I ordered it, but could not find the same fabric for the edging.  We talked and looked at all my other fabric and he chose what I should use.

I spent one afternoon making his new case.  When I emerged from the sewing room he told me he would take it home and change before going to bed.  I told him no.  I told him that if he would not try my pillowcase, then he could not have it.  I would give it to someone else who would like it (strong tactics, I know).  I told him that just because we put the new pillowcase on doesn't mean we could not take it off.  I left him alone.  I heard him crying from the other room.  When I came back--I ask him if he was ready and he said, "LET'S DO  IT!"  We changed it out, folding the raggy pillowcase as best we could, and put it in a ziplock bag to be placed, oh so sweetly, in the cedar chest so that one day he can take it out and wonder how the heck he ever sleept on that ole thang!  He now enjoys he new case and is sleeping like a baby every night. 

Another chapter in my quilting life.  See ya!

A CRAZY QUILTING ADVENTURE

I have been so interested in the many aspects of the Vintage Embroidery sites. Floresita has a blog of her own, a Flickr group that has a blog called Feeling Stitchy. There is so much information that I have a hard time getting through it all. I will find a site link and veer off to it and then forget to go back to where I was.

I was looking through the posts on Feeling Stitchy reading about wool and I found a link to a website that sells wool and all aspects of wool embroidery called Vintage Vogue. She carries acrylic felt, wool blends and felted wool. It is all beautiful. She also has a blog called Nostalgic Needle Art. The best I can tell, January, 2008, Janet of California decided to start posting Crazy Quilt Blocks that include a section revealing a vintage postcard. You print off the pattern onto fabric by using a fabric printer sheet or making your own by pressing fabric to freezer paper. You use this as your foundation and fill in the sections around the image with fabrics and then embelish with lace, ribbons, beads, and of coure, beautiful embroidery stitches. Janet sells all of these wonderful things that you need over on her website --Vintage Vogue--.

This is the Easter block that I printed. The little basket you see on the pattern is to show you the placement of a "finding".

Here is the picture of her block. She sells the "findings" you will see on her block (I didn't know what that was either, but it is the jewelry you see on her block) and also tells you how to give brass an antique look so you can use items you have on your blocks. She gives you a tutorial in case you need a little help getting started. Then each month a new block with an appropriate postcard center.

This is the Easter block that I printed off. The small basket you see printed on the pattern shows the placement of a finding.

I have had in mind to make a crazy quilt block for practising my embroidery stitches. This is perfect. Thanks to Janet over at Vintage Vogue.