FREE PENNY RUG PATTERN!!!

I hope you all had a great weekend! Mine was very restful! But before I go any further with today's blog I have to share a picture of my kitty, Nicky.  Nicky loves wool, he loves balls of thread, he loves all my craft pens, he loves rolling in freezer paper, and most of all he loves yarn!  We came home to find him curled up in one of my daughter's knitting projects ... doesn't he look absolutely content!!! He is also a kitty who loves to sleep on his back with his feet in the air ... its hilarious!

I had a great surprise in the mail too! Valerie from the Wooden Acorn sent me, as a gift, a lovely feather tree.  I had admired the one on her blog that she had decorated! What a sweet lady to do this.  I hope you'll take a minute and visit her at her blog.  Anyway, I was inspired to design some ornaments for my new feather tree.  Of course, they had to be about cats!  I had some kitty buttons on hand and here is the first one I made.  I have another type of button that says "Meow."  I might make some of these to sell, too.!

And now for the free pattern I promised! This is my own little design I call "Snow Flurries" that I thought up this weekend.  I've listed my finished one on eBay.  All you need is some nice thick wool, some iridescent beads, and some snowflake buttons (I purchased mine on eBay and I'll list the store at the end of the tutorial) or you could stitch your own.

1.  First trace an 8" circle on freezer paper and iron it onto the wool you will use for your top layer and cut out.
2. Next trace an 8" circle on fusible web and iron it onto the wool you will use for your bottom layer and cut out.
3. Now for the penny circles ... trace eight 1 1/2" circles onto fusible web and iron onto your wool and cut out.
4. Remove fusible web from your penny circles, space evenly on your top wool layer and iron into place.
5. Sew penny circles to top layer using DMC perle cotton thread (No. 8) using a blanket stitch.
6. Sew snowflake buttons onto penny circles.
7. Sew beads onto buttons and around buttons.
8. Now its time to add the bottom layer of wool! CAREFULLY, iron the front and back pieces of wool together being very careful not to scorch or melt the beads or buttons.
9. Now, using a double thickness of DMC perle cotton thread (No. 8) finish your penny rug by sewing the front and back pieces of wool together using a blanket stitch!
10. Carefully, iron out any wrinkles and use a lint brush to pick up any strays threads or wool bunnies and you are finished and ready to display your penny rug.
11.  Please feel free to use this pattern for crafting and selling, but remember it is copyrighted by Cat Tales and please give me credit if you sell this product on line. You are not permitted to sell this pattern.
12.  If you would like to purchase the snowflake novelty buttons at the site I did, please contact me!

I hope you will send me pictures of your finished penny rug!!!!  Happy crafting and give your kitties a treat for me today! :)

More Gnome Kitties

Hi All, hope your Monday was wonderful! Things for me were a little weird at work today, but now I'm home and can get stitchin'.

Here are a few more gnome kitty pictures I hope you will enjoy.

I also had a little time to stitch up a wool candle mat from a design by Primitive Gatherings.  I love the bright colors in this! It was really fun to stitch up and you can find it at my eBay auction site - cat_tales_booksandprims

Don't have much else tonight, gotta go get supper ready!

Take care and hug those kitties! 

Back to Normal (Almost)!

Well, good evening all! I spent a nice, restful day at home today because, after two months, I finally went to see the doctor about an ear ache I've been having off and on (for about two months!) Well, it turns out I had a low-grade fever, a sinus infection, an ear infection (both ears), and an infection in my eustachion tubes (which is why I couldn't hear really well, either). So, I had a lovely day with all my antibiotics and such.  I don't know why I put it off so long, except that it didn't hurt all the time (just most of the time!).

Anyway, I had a lovely surprise in the mail today. Cath from Cath's Pennies sent me one of her patterns! I just love it and will have to sew it up real soon. Thanks, Cath! I'll be sending you a little something in the mail soon as a thank you!. Isn't this just the cutest penny rug! You can find her blog and patterns at http://cathspennies.blogspot.com/

I have finally, almost, just about finished moving all my sewing stuff back upstairs to our computer room and in the process have cleaned house. I now have quite the tidy sewing area and a lot of stuff for my garage sale in September!!! I even have had some time to sew lately and have listed a few of the finished items on eBay. They are not my own design (except for what I've named them! One I call "Jack's Hat" and the other "Cro'ween"). The ideas for these two little Halloween pillows came from an online wholesale catalog.  I also cut out another pattern that I'm going to be working on tonight as I watch TV.  Hope you all have a great evening and remember don't delay in seeing your doctor! It really saves on the prescriptions!

In Need of a Suggestion or Two?

A few years ago I came up with these two patterns for wool table mats or wall hangings.  I would like to make them again, but was wondering if you wonderful,  crafty ladies have any suggestions for improvments? Thanks so much!

Apples on Our Minds!

Occasionally, I'll pick up a little item at an auction that I think will make a cute votive holder and then attempt to create a penny rug that picks up the theme or idea of the votive holder. Recently, I designed, made and sold this little penny rug on eBay. I had some really nice wool that I over-dyed with it coming out a lovely denim blue with some mottling.  I was so surpised when I clicked on The Quilted Crow's website this morning and glanced at their "new items" and saw this pattern for an adorable penny rug! It's called "Apple Cobbler" by Lisa Bongean for Primitive Gatherings. I just love it. I'm thinking this would be a great fall project! I'd like to think that creative crafters think alike! :)

Crafters Who Share

Today I would like to highlight the patterns of two designers who allow finished items sewn from their patterns to be made for fun and profit: Cath's Pennies Designs and Bunny Hugs. Thanks for sharing. You can find their patterns at: http://www.bunnyhugs.com/bunnyindex.html and http://cathspennies.blogspot.com/. Here are photos of the patterns I just purchased.  While I occassionally design patterns myself, I am a bit busy and enjoy the fun of having ideas already on hand to cut out and sew!  I can't wait to get started on these spring designs.  I just know spring has to be around the corner (right?).

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