Big Basket

Earlier this month I made a basket for my hubby to store all the papers and magazines he hoards around his "Dad Chair/Corner".   I bought the kit years ago knowing one day I would need it.   It is about as big as a 5 gallon bucket and holds lots of magazines.

Enjoy!!

CJ

New Baskets and an Angel

I have been very crafty this month along with baking a b-zillon biscotti, peppermint meringues and pumpkin I managed to weave up a few goodies. 

Modified Sugar & Spice
Design by Pauline Asbury

Other side of Sugar & Spice

Chili Pepper
Desgined by Debbie Hurd

CJ's Mail Basket

Open Weave Angel
Designed by Marcia Ballewig

I have also been busy making changes to my blog as well as preparing for my 15 projects for the CJC 2012.  I did not finish my 2011 list so I plan to add them to my UFO/WIP page.  the 2012 projects will be small--good way to insure I finish them this year.

Happy New Year!!

See ya!

CJ

Two Totes

I love tote bags, I have several and I can't stop temptation when one catches my eye.  I just love totes, they are so useful and I never have problem finding things to put in my various totes.  I have two totes for my basket weaving materials, one large tote for cross stitch, several totes for grocery shopping, a tote for each child and bunches of extra's just in case I need them. 

Now I have taken it to the next level--I have a basket tote.  It is called My Favorite Tote, pattern by Marcia Ballewig of  Oklahoma Basket Supply.  It is small, 4x9x10 and I use it to carry my basket weaving tools.  It was so easy to weave, so easy I had to make a second for a gift. 

Enjoy!!

CJ

Happy Monday Update!!

Can you believe that it is already the middle of September. Time is flying by. These last few weeks have been so busy, PTA, SHAC, kids, school, doctor visits and then a trip to see Granny. Whew!!!

SISTERHOOD
It is official I am now a member of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pattern". The pattern, Waxing Moon Designs #119, arrived from Jennifer on 5 September. I have been too busy to do anything with it other than choose a fabric color, I am going to stitch her on 14ct light blue fiddlers. Now I just need to pick the floss colors, I will probably stick close to the pattern, but you never know. More to come on this subject.

FLOSS TAG/PIF
Not only did I complete my very this weekend, I also received the most fabulous floss tag with scissors from Staci. It was part of a PIF and I am sooooo lucky to get this from her. She is an extremely talented stitcher. I have decided that her floss tag will go on display, never to be used it is just to beautiful.

My Floss Tag

Floss Tag and Scissors from Staci

EXCHANGES
I received two fantastic exchanges on my Cross Stitch Friends group. From Nora, my BFF since teenage hood, a great Christmas package. She sent three skeins of WDW floss, one that I will definitely use on my little one's name flake. A great Mill Hill kit, my very first one, scissors, needles, thread heaven (thanks, I needed some more) and some mints that I will have to hide from my DS, he is addicted to mints. JoAnn, aka Kaghos, sent me a great Dog Days of Summer package. Plenty of treats to keep me energized as I stitch, lovely herbal teas, a Lavender and Lace pattern, a sweet little froggie to ward off the RIPIT demon, as well as blending filament and some seaside embellishments. I have truly been spoiled. Thank-you both.

Christmas in August from BFF Nora

Dogs Days of Summer from JoAnn

BASKET
Do you remember this basket from post on a few weeks ago, well it has a new look. I bought some flowers from Michael's and voila, it is now a nice Fall centerpiece for my table. I think I should be able to use that for years to come.

SO WHAT IS NEXT
I am still working on my PIFs, I intend to send them in November. I have a CSF Halloween Pinkeep, PS Fans Ornament to stitch and I must get cracking on the Sisterhood project.

I wish all of you a great week and I send you all a big THANK-YOU for stopping by. I really am grateful for all your comments.


See ya!!

CJ

Baskets!!

In my profile I mention that I like to make baskets. Last weekend I went to my monthly basket weaving meeting and made two baskets with ceramic bases. I want to share with you a picture on one of the baskets I made on Saturday and a few others I made over the past year as well as several years ago.















This is one of the Friendship baskets I made on Saturday. The base is handmade by a lady in Indiana at Gift of Love Pottery. It is a very easy basket to weave and one that I have made often.






Here is the Mini Harvest basket I made two weeks ago. I plan to decorate it with small artificial fall leaves and let the kids put their "nature walk" finds in it. So it will be home to fall nuts, small pine cones and maybe a few real leaves.

















I made this Envelope Basket in the April of 2007. It is a nice size to hold my husbands stuff when he gets home from work. He drops whatever he has in it, keys, wallet, change, notepad, cell phone and flash drive. So it comes it very handy.















This is a Heart Basket I made in May. Again, a very easy basket to weave and it makes great gifts for teachers. I will be making a few more of these in the coming months.
















This is a large utility basket that I currently use to keep paper to be shredded. I made this basket in 1993 when I was living in Tokyo, Japan. In the past this basket has been used to store dog toys and newspapers. It is the biggest basket I have weaved to date.



A Wine Basket that I made in the Fall of 2006. I did not have a wine bottle with me when I made so the opening is a little narrow for a wine bottle. It was fun to make, but I don't think I would make another. Although, I do enjoy a good bottle of wine, I buy my wine on-line from Bully Hill Vineyards in New York.

















This is my very old Napkin Basket. I think I made this while I was living in Southern Japan on Kyushu Island in 1987. I ordered the kit from a craft magazine and weaved away. It is one of the first baskets that I made.
















This is an egg basket. It is the second one I made, I like the shape and I think I did a really great job on it. This basket is approximately 16 years old. The kids use it at Easter to collect eggs.



I am a self taught weaver and I did teach a few classes when I was stationed in Japan. I lost interest in weaving for about 10 years and picked it back up in 2006 when I found out the base had classes. Turns out the instructor lives on my street and is retired from the Air Force just like me. Now days I am happy to be a student of basket weaving.


See ya!!

CJ