Today's blog started out on my stocking stuffer list but I was just in the mood to try one after fin [More]

Now, here is a fun idea, complete with designs to make it, that would make a great stocking stuffer or busy bag learning toy for any preschooler on your list.  My daughter was looking for ideas one day and came across one of these cute little guys that had been made with colored felt squares.&n... [More]

We are truly blessed to live in a free land. The Fourth of July is fast approaching and I designed t [More]

My daughters and I love to take pictures.   With digital cameras  we take lots and lots.  However with three little ones almost always in tow one big problem I now encounter is keeping  track of the lens cover.  And Andrea is always looking for hers, digging i... [More]

If your Mother is like mine she really, truly doesn't want anything for Mother's Day.  And we k [More]

The girls love to play with the kitchen that their dad made for them.  Their play kitchen isn't [More]

I am in the mood for spring to get here.  Really, it has been a mild winter so I shouldn't be s [More]

Finished!  And with a little time to spare. We decided to just button down the sides instead of sewing them.  It will make removing it from the table and folding it up for storage a little easier.  Kate got to see it during the final fitting since she is doesn't talk much and is t... [More]

OK.  It is the Thursday before Christmas!  A few weeks ago my daughter showed me a picture of a playhouse made from felt.  It fit over a card table.  Very cute and felt is easy to work with. So I planned one for the girls for Christmas.  When I showed my drawings with the me... [More]

If there is anything that all embroiderers have in common, it must be pride of workmanship.  No [More]

Nothing like needing something at the last minute to make your heart race a little, right?  A f [More]

Sometime ago, I saw an advertisement for tortilla warmers and loved the idea.  They looked fun and useful but the cost was $8.00 - $12.00 each, depending on the size, plus shipping.  "What a great way to use up scraps!" I thought.  So, I tore out the ad and saved it.&nb... [More]

As you probably know by now we have been slowly trying to go green.  So we use cloth bags (see designer bags)for most of our shopping.  Even so, we still end up with some of those thin plastic bags from various places.  They have some uses such as lining the bathroom trash cans, tying... [More]

At our house we always seem to be slightly behind and end up cramming to get our father's day gifts done the night before that special day.  Sometimes they don't go as planned and we spend a frustrating time figuring out what to do.  This year we decided to change this (maybe the r... [More]

A friend gave me some leftover 5" squares of minky fabric the other day.  There were not enough to make a quilt so I pondered what to do with them.  In the meantime someone stepped on the clip that held the baby's pacifier so it didn't get lost.  She really only gets it w... [More]

Yes, I know - I do lots of baby stuff.  I can't help it - my girls and all their friends are at [More]

I am a big fan of free computer software. Some of it is worth free and some of it is quite valuable. One that I like, and have found to be praised by many computer professionals is CCleaner by Piriform.com.  This one has a very nice Pedigree - - If you are not using this software, you may wa... [More]

 You know that WWW stands for World Wide Web. Typing in WWW tells your browser that you are connecting to a Web server. However, as the Internet and related-technology evolved, prefixes became mostly unnecessary. But we are creatures of habit and many Websites use both WWW and non-WWW addresse... [More]

Some days I cannot find my keys, or my glasses or whatever I really need. Too often, I cannot find a file I need and that presents a lot of problems for me. I am always on a schedule and get frustrated with delays!  This small application is really worth its weight in gold and then some. Check... [More]

Quick Coasters in the hoop- Designs Included Ever need something right now!  Well last year one of the charity craft bazaars in my mom's neighbourhood needed lots of little things to fill in.  So we made a bunch of these in one night.  In sets of 4 of these quick coasters, tied i... [More]

With Christmas right around the corner the first thing that comes to mind is Santa Clause of course. [More]

There are several very nice slideshow programs on the Internet, but I thought that this one was the best.   Most of the freebies are minimal and require that you download their data down to your PC.  As I have noted several times, more and more of the software will be purchased/used/a... [More]

There are many resources for looking for ancestors and relatives online.  www.FamilySearch.org reviews a number of sites, speeds up your search and is free.  Good luck finding those who may be related to you. You may already own a scanner or just be considering one for your home use. ... [More]

A while back, our oldest daughter painted her dining area walls orange.  We all thought she was a little crazy but with her black furniture it actually looks very nice.  She has a small table on one side and has been looking for a runner for quite some time now.  She really didn't... [More]

Our family has been invited to several Halloween gatherings this year.  The first is this weekend - a whole week before the 31st!  This is Friday and the girls costumes are not quite finished.  But the girls are very excited about dressing up for  these events.  One dec... [More]

We are all trying to be more ‘green' these days, but some things may remain in your home that you are uncertain about.  Green means more environmentally safe, but I use some items that I really cannot do without.   I want to know exactly what is in those products.  It m... [More]

One of our granddaughters loves Frosty the Snowman.  We sing the song daily - even when it is 100+ degrees here.  We read the book almost as often.  So I decided to create a Frosty sweatshirt for her even though winter isn't here yet.  When I asked her what color sweatshirt s... [More]

We all get excited over a new piece of equipment, either for our computer or for our embroidery.&nbs [More]

[View:/cs/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/avid-embroiderer.Back+2+School+2010/A-Haunted-Moon.zip]It may be true that in the spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.  However, it is autumn that has a parental dance called, Thank Goodness... [More]

I went to have lunch with my granddaughter this week.  It was fun but one thing that amazed me was how many lunch boxes looked just alike.  And they were all jumbled together in huge tubs so it took the kids some time to find the one that belonged to them.  So, this week we made In-th... [More]