Creative Stitches by Lynn

Magazine Subscriptions and Identity Theft

Lynn Douglass — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:29:34 +0000

It is considered postal fraud and identity theft to subscribe to magazines under another person’s name. Fortunately, I have an example of this person’s handwriting, and all of the subscriptions were requested through hand-written subscription cards. I’ve been collecting copies of these cards from the magazine companies, and I can verify who the offender is through her handwriting. So far, 12 counts of identity theft, and 12 counts of postal fraud. The offender may think it’s an amusing way to harass me, but it is a criminal offense. My attorney is taking care of it, and I’m getting on with the good things in life! Cheers!

Lessons To Be Learned From a Cat

Lynn Douglass — Fri, 13 May 2011 16:47:22 +0000

I am enjoying this little guy immensely! It’s almost like having a toddler in the house again! He’s into everything, wants to play all the time, hangs on my leg when he wants attention, and crashes hard when he’s worn out. He has brought a lot of laughter and joy to our household, and he’s great therapy for the days that I’m not feeling well. There’s nothing better than a purring kitty to sooth the soul. There’s a lot to be learned from watching a kitten; have fun, play more, enjoy each moment, and relax when needed. It’s good medicine!

Making sure that Nancy’s apron is comfy.

The quilt is pretty cozy, too!

Checking out a basket that I put down.

It must be meant for me!

Don’t you wish you guys could have this basket?

Yes, I am all that!

Reaching for the ping pong ball that went under the dresser. Belly crawl!

He likes to pull one of my stress mats aside and sleep under it. LOL!

Relaxed, much?

Hoppin’ on the Mug Rug Train!

Lynn Douglass — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:03:17 +0000

After showing you my mug rug, I decided to do a little footwork and share some links with you! My friend, Terri, posted a mug rug tutorial on her blog, Sew Fantastic. She has several tutorials to check out, so get a cup of coffee and enjoy the read! Meg made mugs rugs that look like little houses! Quilt Dad shows several mug rugs that were made for a swap. There are lots of cute ideas for making mug rugs at Two More Seconds. This should be enough to peak your interest and give you some ideas if you’re interested in hopping on the mug rug train!

My friend, Pam, made this one for me. I’m using it as a mouse pad! Thank you, Pam. I love it!

Look at the flip side! I love the cherries!

Modern Quilt Guild Hexie Mug Rug

Lynn Douglass — Sun, 01 May 2011 22:42:37 +0000

Now, that title is a mouthful! I was first introduced to the Modern Quilt Guild when Terri, Jen and Meg started the Bakersfield Modern Quilt Guild in January. One of the projects shared at that meeting was something called a mug rug. The original idea came from a small quilt that can be used as a rug for a beverage and a snack. My first thought was, “Why?” Terri mentioned that it’s a great way to try a new technique, and you don’t have to commit to making a large quilt. It’s also a project that you can finish in a day, so it’s a good thing to do when you are short on time. As I started looking on the internet for mug rugs, I found that I was intrigued by them! Not only can they be used as coasters, they can be used as mouse pads or coffee table toppers!

During one of our BMQG meetings, we made paper pieced hexies. Orange is my least favorite color, so I challenged myself to use a lot of orange in a project. Now that my mug rug is finished, I’m kind of liking orange! Whoda thunk it? I was going to use this mug rug for a swap that we have coming up in June, but I’ve decided to keep it. I’ll make another one for the swap!

Another Easter at Rocky Ridge Ranch

Lynn Douglass — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 02:31:39 +0000

As has been our family tradition for the past few years, we enjoyed another Easter with family at my brother’s ranch. It was terribly windy and cold this year, and the wildflowers weren’t quite in full bloom yet. Since we didn’t take our traditional walk, I didn’t take many pictures. It was still a fun day, though!

Steve and Tami. Windy, much? LOL!

Steve was helping Brady get a bird’s eye view for some great pictures! Brady is a very talented, professional photographer.

My brother, Steve, and his best buddy, Jackson.

My son, Collin, and his girlfriend, Toni.

My niece, Jennifer, and her son, Jackson.

Lynn Douglass — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:40:35 +0000

A week after we adopted George, he got out in the middle of the night, and ran away from home. He was sleeping on the bed when we went to sleep. When we woke up in the morning, the patio door in our bedroom was ajar just enough, and he was gone. Zack had come in from work at 3:00 a.m., and I think our patio door wasn’t closed completely. When another door in the house is opened, it causes an unlatched door to get pulled open. We searched door to door, put signs up, an ad in the paper and on Craigslist, and I’ve been watching the shelters on a daily basis. No George. He was tagged and micro-chipped, so he may get back to me some day. In looking for him, I found this little guy. I was NOT looking to adopt another cat, and wasn’t even remotely tempted by all of the kittens in the shelter. As soon as I came across the picture of this red headed little guy, I knew he was mine. I even had a name for him….Shamus. I have no idea where the name came from, it just popped into my head. I got to bring Shamus home last Friday. I’ve never had a kitten before, so this is all new to me! I’m enjoying it, and I still hope to find George. I suppose I can quit saying that I’m not a cat person! LOL!

Snoring and purring

Scott’s not a cat person either. LOL!

Kaffe Fassett in the House!

Lynn Douglass — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:30:49 +0000

Last Thursday was opening day at the new location of Strawberry Patches. It’s right across the parking lot from the old location, so it’s not hard to find. The store is jaw dropping gorgeous, and the joyous atmosphere inside the store was electrifying! While there, Suzanne came to tell me that Kaffe Fassett had paid her a visit, in the way of a fabric shipment! My heart be still! I’ve long been collecting Kaffe Fassett fabrics, and I’ve dropped just a few hints over the years to Suzanne. Boy, did she come through! I literally purrrrrred with delight as bolt after bolt was laid out on the cutting table. Nerrrrrrvana! I’m in the middle of working on a project using KF fabrics, and I needed just a couple of more pieces. Thank you, Suzanne, for feeding my addiction! LOL!

Settling In

Lynn Douglass — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:55:32 +0000

I am completely in love with George, my newly adopted cat! I brought him home and followed my friend, Stacy’s, instructions about how to acclimate him to our home and our dogs, Chunk and Chipper. Stacy assured me that when George was ready to meet the dogs and venture about the house, he’d let me know. Zack and I brought George home on Saturday afternoon. By Sunday evening, he was pounding at the sewing room door, wanting out. I’d been going in and out of the room throughout the day, and my dogs would patiently wait for me just outside the door. I would leave the door open, so that the animals could see each other. My dogs are very good about not encroaching on George’s personal space. I can now leave the sewing room door open, and George has gotten comfortable in the rest of the house. If the dogs get too close, he still growls a bit, but they know to back off when that happens. They usually just lie down wherever they are. He looks so much like Oscar, they are probably wondering what the heck is with Oscar’s attitude! LOL. Yesterday morning, I awoke to find all three animals asleep on the foot of my bed. He’s definitely settling in just fine around here!

A New Member of the Family

Lynn Douglass — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:08:01 +0000

After losing Oscar, a month ago, I have been completely heartbroken. I am a person who never had any interest in having a cat. That was, until Oscar showed up. He simply wouldn’t leave, and he needed to be taken care of. He stole my heart, fully. I have missed having a cat around, and have made several visits to the animal shelters the past 4 weeks. I was looking for Oscar, not another cat. Yesterday’s visit to the shelter was my one last time to look for Oscar. No Oscar, but I found George. We’d actually met when I first visited the shelter a month ago, but only through the cage. My son, Zack, was with me yesterday, and he’s been offering to pay for adoption fees if I wanted another cat. He pestered me to actually “meet” some cats, and so I asked to meet George. OMG! Did I ever get picked! My friend, Stacy, does a lot of cat rescue and fostering. She’d given me some excellent tips in looking for a new cat. One of them was to see if a cat would let me lay it on its back and touch its belly. Not only did George not mind it, he was like a wet noodle! When I raised him back up, I had his back against my body. He proceeded to purrrrr and rub his head under my chin. When I looked at Zack to say something, George literally wrapped his leg and paw around the side of my face and pulled me back to him, nose to nose! I was butter! I did take a couple of hours to meet other cats, but none of them chose me. Besides, they were all younger cats, and I wanted one a little older. I know that people want younger cats and kittens, and I wanted a buddy that needed me just as much as I needed him. George is 5, the oldest cat at the shelter. He has a bit of one ear missing, and he’s a bit chubby. A perfect fit! He is adjusting well, and I’m so glad that Zack encouraged me to “meet” him! Good son! **forgot to mention that when I asked how long he’d been at the shelter, they told me he was left there on January 18……my birthday!**

Sewing Machine Cozy

Lynn Douglass — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:12:55 +0000

Who doesn’t have a fabric stash? I’ve been trying to bust that stash just a little bit, and I found the perfect way to work on that! Suzanne, at Strawberry Patches, posts tutorials on her blog for a variety of projects. In this tutorial, she made a sewing machine cozy. My little machine desperately needed one, and I had the perfect Amy Butler fabric in my stash. I’m slow about everything I do, so it took me an afternoon to complete. Someone who isn’t slow could probably get it done in a couple of hours.