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Sunday, March 17, 2024

Moving Along

The Snowflake Tablerunner appliqué from Piecing the Past Quilts is moving along.  The center snowflake has only six leaf shapes to go at the end of the spikes and then six diamond shape between the spikes.  When those are done, a snowflake will be complete.    

There is a total of 72 of the little leaves to make and stitch.  I cut out 24 for the snowflake that I am working on, shape about 8 at a time and then stitch.  Repeat.  Best Press and the mylar template are being used to make the leaf shapes.  Maybe I will get good at making these (hysterical laughing is heard here).

Stitching of one shape for all three snowflakes is being done before I move on to the next shape.  


There have been other projects worked on this week, but I am not remembering what.  (The mind, sigh.)  

Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Thank you for the visit and enjoy your threads.

 

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Appliqué

Block5: Pair of Golden Eagles from A Bountiful Life is almost done.  All that is left is to embroider the eye of each eagle.  It was fussy at the end but not as bad as I was dreading.  Should have finished this long ago.  Now to mark the next one which will be Block 7: Birds with Snacks.


But, before that is getting marked, I am stitching the "spokes" on my Snowflake Runner from Piecing the Past Quilts.  I started this by forming the "spokes" over a mylar template.  

Then they would be stitched onto the runner.  It did not go well.  They are so tiny, skinny.  They have been placed by needle turn appliqué. 


The "spokes" look much nicer to me.  They will be finished up today and then I will either begin leaf shapes or there are diamond shapes to make.  Those are large enough that I will try making the shapes over the mylar templates.


Enjoy your threads today.  Thank you for taking a look at what I am stitching.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Feet

Not what I expected to stitch on this week.  

For some reason Block 5: Pair of Golden Eagles from A Bountiful Life was screaming at me.  It had been longtime ignored but the leaves and branches were starting to get stitched.  The feet were next.  Ick.

My cousin Kathy had done her eagles' feet using a suede fabric and I really like how they looked.  She had given me a piece of the suede.  Tried it and did not like it.  Hers looked so much nicer.  (Forgot to take a picture before the feet were removed.) 

Next, I used a brown cotton and did the needle turn appliqué technique.  Still, I was not happy.  So, I pondered.


Looked through my books on appliqué hoping someone would give great directions on doing bird feet.  Nothing specific but good ideas.  I took Pellon #950 fusible nonwoven interfacing and fused it to the back of my brown material.  (That is a one sided fusible.  For some reason I did not want to fuse it to the block.  No sure what my thinking was.)  Then the feet were traced and trimmed.  The buttonhole stitch was used to attach to the material.  Happier am I.  Not perfect but done.  The body was stitched for one of the eagles and more leaves placed.  She still has to have her eye stitched on.  


A closer view of the feet.

Below are the first feet that I made with the cotton, needle turned appliqué.  They did not make me happy at all.  You can see the piece of fabric with the fusible interfacing on it.  The left feet will be removed, and the new ones stitched in place.  Then the body can be stitched on, then more leaves and branches.

 

Block 5 will be done (maybe today).  My slow stitching on a Sunday and then back to the snowflake runner.  I am thinking that a person has to use all the techniques for appliqué.  

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Enjoy your threads and thanks for looking.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Snowflake Runner

It has been an interesting week.  Monday, we left at noon for Boston as my husband was having a knee replacement at New England Baptist the next morning.  Tuesday we were there at 0530 and his surgery began at 0800.

For the next five hours, I appliqued the ovals on my Piecing the Past Quilts: Snowflake Tablerunner.  There were several of us in the waiting area, but I was the only one doing hand work.  



At noon my husband was in his room, and they had him walking with a walker by 1500 (3pm).  We left the next day at noon for the three-hour drive home.  He is doing very well.  Physical Therapy has been in to evaluate and work with him.  This knee replacement recovery has been, knock on wood, so much easier and faster than the other knee eleven years ago.  51 hours door to door turn around.  

Faster than any hand work project that I have ever done.  Today, after a run to Dunkin for him, I will prep the three center circles and start on the snowflake spokes.  

Husband will be doing his exercises and walking in circles in the house.  It is 15 degrees out at the moment so not sure if he will make it outside.  A warmup is to happen later in the week.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Enjoy your threads.  I surely do.



 

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Hello

Well, I was not here (the blog) for the beginning of February, and it is half over!  I have been working with my threads but have not kept a good record of what I have done.  Here is what I remember.

A Bountiful Life (Civil War Bride) block #5 has been worked on again.  This is being done as needle turn applique and it is fussy.  That is why it was sitting in its box.  There are branches under leaves, leaves over the eagles but under the branches.  It was just too fussy for me, but I have a goal and it will get done.

Another applique was started, and this one is not being done as needle turn.  This is the center of a snowflake design.  There are three snowflakes on this table runner from Piecing the Past Quilts.  Each individual shape is made and then stitched onto the fabric.  Enjoying stitching both, not sure which technique I prefer.

A new cross stitch from Moira Blackburn was also begun, Season and Time.  This 52x33cm, about 21x13 inches.  I don't have bars long enough to hold it as a horizontal shape, so I am working it sideways.  Interesting way to read the pattern.  May that have made sense.  


I am at a bit lost with no football to stitch with.  Will have to work on a new, soon to be spring, routine.  Today is grey, windy and 26 degrees out.  

May you all enjoy your threads.  Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.


Sunday, January 28, 2024

Squirrel, Mats

Kathy, my cousin, is one of the Tuna Quilters.  She read my post from last week and sent me a picture of her mug mat that I had made.  Two mats were made to try out the postage stamp background as postage stamp quilts are now fascinating me.  They still fascinate me and keep churning in my mind.


Another squirrel came to visit last week.  But it didn't stay long.  A package from Shabby Fabrics was delivered to our mailbox Wednesday night and I didn't know that it had arrived until the next morning.  This is from their Tea & Cookies for Two mat series.  If I see something and I like the material, I will order the kit.  I picked up the mail at 10am and the mats were almost finished by 3pm.

Friday, we had a visit to Boston, so no stitching of any type was done.  Yesterday I finished the binding and then buttonhole stitched around the inside border.  Some in the ditch stitching needs to be done.  These are tea and cookie mats as they are 9.5 X 15.5 inches.  The placemats I use are 12 X 17 inches.  I do like a larger place mat.

Two football games today.  I need to figure out what I will be doing for slow stitching.  Enjoy your threads today.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.



 



 

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Squirrel and Frog

On January 3, 2024, Jo at Jo's Country Junction announced that she is starting a Stitch Along.  It is Kind Words Never Die from Heartstring Samplery.  This is a small that I really like.  So, I have joined in.  The Stitch Along begins on 1 February but I started mine on Friday.  That is the Squirrel.

The Frog.

As I said, this is a small.  Stitch Count: 74 x 73.  On Friday evening the words and five flowers were stitched.  Yesterday afternoon I stitched two more flowers and found out I was off one stitch, and it wasn't going to match up.  I had to look over the entire pattern to find out where I was off.  See the circle to the left.  The flower was one stitch to high.


So, the Frog went into action.  Thank goodness for football.


It has been restarted properly and I will keep better track of my stitches (she says as her fingers are crossed).


This was a more productive week.  I made two mug mats using a postage stamp background with a snowflake applique.  I gave them to my Tuna Quilter friends and forgot to take a picture.  Still thinking of that quilt.

My socks have been finished and have survived a wash.
 

My Slow Stitching today will be finishing my small and then I have another stitch waiting to begin.  The sun is out, a bit windy, and we are starting our day at 3 degrees.  I know other parts of the USA have it worse.  Please all be warm, safe and enjoy your threads.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.