Hand stitching

I spent a LONG day in the hospital waiting room yesterday.

My Godmother requested I be there for her surgery.

I'm so glad I could be there for her....

And...

 

I'm so glad I had these orphan blocks to work on.

I am quilting them up

and will be donating them as table toppers

for a fundraiser coming up!

 

I hope to make at least 10!

Thought they'd be MACHINE quilted.....

but don't they look nice with those big stitches???

 

The ONLY problem.....

I RAN OUT of thread!

 

 

Cleaning Day

My husband cleaned out a closet Saturday...

and You'll NEVER guess my FIRST thought.

 

FREE FABRIC!!

 

I've been making tshirt yarn.

Tshirt tote bags.

 

And...

Of course....

Filling my PLAIDs and STRIPES stash!

 

 

 

Christmas quilt along

 

As I blogged about beginning a Christmas quilt a couple of weeks ago...

I asked YOU to join me in a quilt along.

It was a passing thought.

Then it was DONE DEAL!!!

:)

 

If you're along for the RIDE....

WELCOME!!!

I will NOT be giving EXACT cutting instructions.

I will be showing you how I construct blocks

 using a FREE and EASY approach.

 

I hope that you will join me.

Ask questions...please.....

and LEARN something new!

 

The above photo is my work in progress.

I will take you through the steps to make YOUR OWN house

next Monday!

 

I posted the first tree here if you want to begin.

 

I hope to post a step the FIRST monday of EACH month.

 

I"m hoping every quilt will be similar.....

BUT UNIQUE!!!

Can't wait to see YOURS!

 

 

 

 

 

Solid Squared

 

6" squares.

Blue.

White.

Tan.

Brown.

Green.

Little bits of gold and peach.

 

Is it MANLY enough?

 

I hope so.

 

 

 

It's the kind of quilt that I can work on

when I'm not feeling 100%.

Just sewing squares together takes NO brain power...

or VERY little.

 

I absolutely LOVE all those solids

and ALMOST solids.

Some of the fabrics were even turned

WRONG side OUT to look more SOLID.

;)

 

I'll be sending this OFF to Debra's quilt drive.

She's covering a fire station house FULL of beds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hearts

I got a call from my daughter yesterday.

"Mom....

You'll never GUESS what I'VE been sewing!

I'm making

The SAME thing as YOU!!

A pillow with HEARTS!"

 

LOL!!!!

 

She read my post yesterday

and couldn't believe we were

making the SAME THING.

 

Different...

but the SAME.

 

This is her

Appliqued heart pillow...

in progress.

 

Look at all that handwork!

 

I LOVE her hearts!

I love her color choice!

I love those BIG stitches!

 

I'm Thinking I need to make another pillow!

;)

 

 

 

 

 

Simple things

It's the simple things that make me happy.

 

 

Little hearts appliqued quickly onto a piece of

leftover upholstery fabric.

Stitching lines during a viewing of Downton Abbey.

Inspiring someone to DRAW!

:)

Proving...

that when MOMMY creates.....

Children CREATE!!!

Trying to decide if I like my new Valentine's pillow

HERE....

Or here.

I DO Know I like my little pillow

ANYWHERE!

 

What's your simple thing today???

Monday

One thing I really LOVE about quilting

is GIVING.

 

I love sewing those little 2" scraps together...

adding a 2" border....

and making something USEFUL to give away.

 

I make these when I need little simple gifts that say.....

THANK YOU.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

or

ANYTHING else!!!!!

 

Potholders are usually my GO TO project.

but...

scraps can be turned into SO MANY USEFUL things!!!!

;)

 

I like to add a little cookbook or cooking utensil with my quilted gift.

 

It takes a little time.

A few little scraps...

an old clean towel, cut to size....

some binding....

 

VIOLA!

Laurel Leaf Love

I'm super excited about my NEWest SLOW project!

Actually not NEW...

but pulled out and started again.

;)

We all need at least ONE of these going,

don't you think???

I have all my supplies SPREAD out on a portable table.

Hoping to fit in a few stitches here and there

Mostly though...it will be

at the end of the day when I like to WIND DOWN.

I began by folding my 12" square in half twice diagonally.

Adding the long stems by first basting them on with my machine...

then appliqueing them down by hand

and removing the basting stitch.

Then....

I apply the leaves using a needle turn method.

I've penciled in the pattern LIGHTY on the white fabric.

 

The leaves won't be all EXACTLY the same size....

but I think I'll like it in the END!!!

This is the funky pattern I made for this project.

You can see I began sketching with pencil

and then REFINED my placement with the Sharpie!

LOL!

This is what is known as a HOMEMADE pattern.

;)

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts on Crochet and winners

I finally finished my zigzag afghan!

Let me tell YOU....

These guys take a LOT of yarn!

 

I'm a beginner.

I didn't realize the MAGNITUDE of my project...

Until I was INTO it!

It all started with some hand me down yarn.

 

This afghan became too big to lug around..

so the last half was done at home.

 

I was able to use the old yarn for MOST of the project...

but ended up buying a big ball of blue to finish it up.

 

Why did I make an afghan???

Because I tired of making dishcloths

and....

I have ENOUGH scarves!!

;)

After finding my big afghan too big to carry around...

I started this little baby blanket with some yarn from the thrift store.

 

DO NOT begin something unless you KNOW you have enough yarn.

I'm LEARNING about how much yarn different projects take.

It SEEMS I learn ONLY by experience

:/

After being frustrated about the LACK of yarn to finish a blanket....

I bought enough yarn to complete a project.

:)

This one took 4 skeins.

All this crochet represents the last few months of

SOCCER games, holiday TRAVEL..

and WAITING rooms.

:)

 

Gotta LOVE those take along projects!

 

**************

 

I used Mr. Random Generator

to choose

Winners of the little pincushion KIT

 

They are....

Mary, Eva and Michele T.

 

Congratulations!!!!

 

You will be getting this little KIT in the mail soon.

Happy Homes

This quilt contains a LOT of happy houses!

There are some extra house blocks

from our neighborhood party

as well as some late arrivals.

 

This quilt contains lots of love....

as well as mounds of CREATIVITY!

I will be donating this to my local rescue mission.

They provide food and shelter for the needy.

They will use it to comfort someone in need.....

or will auction it off to raise funds.

The mission is close to my heart.

I've been volunteering there about once a month

for the past 25 years!

Let me tell you...

time FLIES!

 

Thank you friends for participating

and finding time in your busy schedules

to make a quilt block for charity!!!

 

I'll choose the THREE winners tomorrow

for the sewing machine pincushion giveaway here.

 

 

crayon bag

Sewing something little today.

Trying to turn an "antique" crayon bag

into something a little more FUN.

:)

I was able to salvage a daisy off another antique

felt kitchen wall hanging!!

 

'
This little plastic "window" is my favorite part!

(next time I'll make my flap a bit shorter

so that the window will really SHOW!)

 

I like this little bag because it's nice and small.

Doesn't require lots of space in my bag.

 

If your purse is anything like mine...

space is limited and only the most important STUFF

gets HAULED around!!!

LOL!

Something for me and you

I sat down yesterday and did a little sewing.

It was SO simple to sew this little pin cushion up.

I don't need another pin cushion..

but...

I LOVE my sewing machine.

 

It just HAD to be MADE!!!

;)

I used two PRE-cut 5" squares.

for a front and a back.

This is the fabric my little sewing machine came from.

The sewing machine was hand appliqued on the front

BEFORE putting the two squares together.

Then I filled my pin cushion with

crushed walnuts

and slip stitched the opening closed.

 

SUCH a simple project!!!

 

 

I have some extra sewing machine fabric

if you'd like to make one for yourself!!!

:)

 

Leave a comment.

I'll choose 3 winners next week

and send them a small piece of the sewing machine fabric.

Tell me ONE of your goals for this year!!

This and That

I've been weaving.

Or I should say....

I HAVEN'T been weaving.

 

This little bag has been on the loom for a couple of months now.

The body of the bag is finally DONE!

 

Now....

to figure out HOW to make a long rope handle with the rest of the yarn!

Should I braid it???

 

I saw a sample for this bag in a local yarn shop

and can't remember exactly how the handle was constructed.

;/

 

I was able to cover the ends of the warp with this antique!

LOL!

The bag only took ONE ball of sock yarn.

(photo above is for demonstration only.)

If you're like me...

You think of the pictures you SHOULD have taken

only when it's TOO late!

 

After warping the loom.....

Weaving the bag to right size....

I still had some warp on the loom.

So.......

I wove HALF of a bag!

;)

 

I used the same sock yarn

and wove with cotton yarn.

I was able to EEK out a rectangle.

The other half of a bag is fabric that has been quilted.

It makes my thrifty heart SING

when I can use up!

Even if it is only leftover warp on my LOOM!!!

 

On another topic....

Did you know fiskars have a lifetime guarantee???

 

I asked for a new SMALL rotary cutter for Christmas.

This little guy gets a LOT of use!

and he wouldn't stay clicked OPEN anymore.

My husband (Santa Claus)

found out that he could get a replacement. FREE.

He sent an email (with a photo, I think)

and we got a new one.

Small one???

No.

Oh well.

Lastly...

I was asked about piecing tree branches

for the quilt along.

After setting in the first strip....

I lay that last triangle (background fabric)

on....trying to CENTER it...

eyeballing the other background piece.

It doesn't usually come out PERFECTLY

That's why I like to TRIM!!!

So much less stressful!!

Don't you think?