Needles and a Pen » Knitting, Sewing, and Nursing School

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  • Welcome to my blog!

    Hi! I'm Traci. I'm a Registered Nurse who loves quilting, knitting, cross stitch, and the great outdoors. In my pre-scrubs life, I owned Real Photography, and you can still see my old wedding and portrait photography site here .

    I've created a map that shows links to our camping/hiking/general family fun review posts that you can find here. It's pretty much the coolest thing on this site. Thanks, Google!

    I great big puffy heart *love* comments, so please let me know you visited! I try to always reply!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized

No. I want to be in Seattle.

Will, being told that we had landed in Colorado Springs.  He misses Seattle very much, and informed me this morning that we need to return in “not too many days.  like two days.   or maybe one day.”  When I told him that Granny wasn’t coming with us to our house, he insisted that she was, I insisted that she wasn’t, and so he told me “You are making me very angry.”  He seems happy to be home, but he’s talking constantly of all those family members that we saw and negotiating for our return about every half hour.

a story I would find charming if it didn’t happen to be MY boot

Wednesday, December 1, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized

Pulled on my snow boots this morning only to find that one of them was full of cheerios, pieces of granola, a goldfish cracker, and other tasty mouse morsels.  A little mouse has been using my snow boot for a house.  Or at the very least, a pantry.

Probably the very same mouse who met with an unfortunate end recently in one of our mouse traps. 

It’s been a while since we’ve had any mice activity.  I’d almost forgotten how it makes me want to crawl out of my skin to think of field mice running around my stuff!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized

Why do we still have the car that we are not going to buy?!

Will about the rental car

christmas pillow

Monday, November 22, 2010 Posted in gifts, pillows

My rudolph mug rug found itself on this Christmas pillow:

add a comment

Kirsten Ott - Your free motion stitching is so awesome! You had me hooked with the eiffel tower and my lust for your projects keeps growing! I wish I was in some of the swaps you are in and had a chance at getting one! Love them!

Kelly - It’s adorable! 🙂
LOVE him!

Lee - CUTE! I’m in love!

I came over from Gen X Quilters – your blog is beautiful. Gorgeous pictures of incredible projects! I’m adding you to my Reader.

Elizabeth @ Don't Call Me Betsy - Oh my gosh, he is adorable!!! Wow, talk about serious skills!

Kelly - he looks SO cute in my family room! Thanks SO SO much! 🙂

Lindsay - So, so, so adorable!

gifts: tiny charlie brown christmas tree coin purse

Monday, November 22, 2010 Posted in bags, Christmas, gifts

I’m really into free motion stitching right now and having a ton of fun with it.  This little Charlie Brown Christmas tree embroidery/applique is my favorite thing I’ve ever made.  The pattern for the coin purse is based off the Atkinson Designs Cash and Carry pattern.

I love the way the zipper is installed–it makes the bag look store bought.

Here’s a bag I made with the pattern without changes:

It’s a pattern I will be returning to often for gift making!

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Susanne - Oh I just LOVE that CB Christmas tree!! That 100% means Christmas to me!! Every time I see it, I can hear Linus’ Monologue!!