Lots of new crafts

For some reason, finishing the birth announcement triggered a desire to start something new. I didn't start just one new project. Oh no, that would be the most sensible. Nope, I started three new projects! REALLY?! What am I thinking?

Thankfully, one of the projects is already completed. What do you think this is?

Those are a whole lot of individual pieces that become a cute little dog. I have had the directions to make these dogs for many years. I used to sell them at craft fairs. They lured in the little children and then their mom or grandmother would often buy another of my crafts. I found this pattern years ago in a magazine. Don't ask me which one. I forgot how easy it was to crochet and assemble. 

Here is the finished pup just waiting to be adopted by my granddaughter.

So I finished the birth announcement which you can see here. Of course that means that I have to start another cross-stitch project even though I have 2 others already in progress. You may remember that I made my son-in-law a Christmas stocking. You can see that here. I had already chosen a pattern and bought the fabric for a stocking for my daughter-in-law. My son and daughter-in-law will be visiting for Christmas, so I decided that I would try to stitch her stocking to have it ready this year. She is a veterinarian, so this is the stocking I chose to make. It is from the Winter 2015 "Cross-stitch and Needlework" magazine.  

I will have to adjust it somewhat so that I can add her name at the top, but I have plenty of fabric to do so. Below is where I am so far. Trust me that the background fabric is the same light blue as in the photo above. It was dark out and I was using an overhead light when I took the photo.

I want to make a trip to Joann's soon to get backing and lining fabric as I want somethingt o complement the light blue. 

What else did I start you ask? I have been wanting to stitch up some Christmas fabric to make gifts for Christmas. I can't tell you what they will be, but this is where I have started.

Most of those strips of fabric are from a Moda Jelly Roll that my son got me as a gift last year. I had to supplement with a few stash fabrics. I am basically following a Thimbleberries pattern that I have used before, but I may leave out some of the appliqued elements. 

Here are a preliminary layout for the quilty gift.

I have since altered the initial layout to add more variety of fabrics.

I have also been busy baking. It is Autumn, so I had to bake something with pumpkin. I have been collecting recipe clippings for years and years, but I don't always get around to making many of them. I decided to try this one for Pumpkin Bread that came from September/October 1996 Country Woman magazine. Yes, I have been holding on to it for 26 years!

The recipe makes two loaves. I thought they were delicious. I gave one to my mother in law (who thought it was a little heavy), gave half to my mother and kept half for me.

My usual pumpkin bread recipe has raisins in it which I love, but this recipe was moist and delicious.....probably all the eggs and oil. This is not diet food. 

Well that is all for now. My daughter and granddaughter are visiting for the weekend so I have to go enjoy some snuggles. 

I will be joining Kathy for some Slow Sunday Stitching. Pop on over to her site to see what other bloggers are stitching. 

Thanks for stopping by!