A bit slow

Slowly I have been getting back to threads.  But it has only been hand stitching.  I took a look into my cave, and it is a horrid mess.  My time in there has been spent cleaning, going through stuff, sorting and tossing out what is not needed or wanted.  (Tossing out means finding it a new home elsewhere.)  I have found WIPs that I barely remembered.  My list of to-finish projects has just become longer.  I can't buy anything for at least ten years.  (A bit of an exaggeration, but not by much.)

I am stitching my third piece from this pattern.  The first two have been stitched, but neither has moved to the finish stage.  I cannot start another stitch until I get some finishes done.  Will I heed my words?

This may be turned into a birth stitch.  The name of our Grand-daughter and her birthdate to be stitched across the bottom.  Hmmmm.  Then it will have to be finished.

Her first Christmas stocking is complete.  Sewing this together made me nervous.  I really didn't want to mess it up.  That was a crazy sensation as I have been sewing as long as I can remember.  The pattern is 32 years old and from Current stationary.  

May you all have a wonderful day with your threads.  My cave is calling me for a bit and then football and slow stitching.

Linking to Sunday Slow Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

November, gone!

November has come and gone.  I am so glad.  I did nothing as I had a head and chest cold that had me totally unproductive.  I had all I could do to catch up with my nose, it was running so fast.  Don't feel bad for me, as a retired Nurse Practitioner, life happens.  I have felt better this last 2 weeks but have just started to get into my threads again.  Energy coming back. 

Gibbs and Ziva are enjoying their heated bed.  They would keep me company whenever I was laying down. 

I would like you to meet Margie, the cactus.  She is the Thanksgiving cactus on the right.  She belonged to the sister of my friend Cal.  After Margie, the sister, passed, she was given to me.  She is a wonderful bloomer.  That is Margie Jr. on the left.  A branch fell off and another was started.  I need to give Margie a trim, cut her back a bit.  I am told that Margie could never get her to bloom like this.  I stick her outside all summer until the cool weather begins.  (All my cacti are out for the summer with monitored neglect.)  She is a wonderful bloomer.  I have five large cactus, four different colors and six babies of different growth size and add two other colors.

This is what I have done in November, and it was done after Thanksgiving.  From Shepard's Bush, their Thankful Bag.  I need to sew on the buttons and stitch the pincushion and scissor fob.

Our first Grandbaby was born early December.  Here is her first Christmas stocking.  Today I will stitch on the lace and then put it together.  We will meet her for the first time for Christmas.  We have video spoken with her and her parents.  If I may say, she is beautiful.

I thank all of you for having your blogs.  It was so nice to visit when I had so little energy.   

May you all enjoy your threads today.

Linking to Kathy's Quilts and Slow Sunday Stitching.

 

Two Squirrels

As they say, "Winter Is Coming".  Wednesday, we had 3 inches of the wonderful white stuff land on the deck (and the yard).  It packed down to one inch by evening.  We can still see bits in the shade areas under some of the trees where the sun is not warming it.  I guess I better bring in the last of the birdbaths and that pot.  There are also two chairs on the deck that need to come in.  On the list for tomorrow.  

My blackwork squirrel has caught me.  It is 100 little squares, and each square has a different center pattern.  18 count Aida cloth and stitched with one thread of DMC Black.  Not much left to do.

Another squirrel came into my life, and it just had to get done.  But it isn't quite finished.  This is the Autumn Bag by Shepard's Bush.  The buttons need to be stitched on and then it will be done.  I love these project bags and couldn't resist.  It has a pincushion and scissor fob that go with it.  They have not been started and are being made to wait until the blackwork stitching is done.  

I wish I could show you some quilting getting done but that energy is lost at the moment.  It will come back, and it better be soon.  To be fair to myself, other stuff has limited my stitching and sewing time.

Today I hope to be close to finishing the blackwork.  Then the Autumn pincushion will be set up.  

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

 

Squirrel, NewTool

Good morning.  I don't have much to show.  This week and last, I have been a bit unsure what I should be working on.  

I found a new to me tool that I am very happy with.  The Binding Needle from Primitive Gatherings.  Somehow it jumped into my order when I was online shopping somewhere.  I have always stitched my quilt bindings with a short needle and been happy.  I tried this to stitch the binding on the Dino quilt.  I started with it and did about six inches.  Thought it was too long and switched back to my usual needle.  I was surprised that the stitches made with the longer needle were smaller and looked better.  I went back to this needle and did the entire binding with it.  I was really pleased with my stitches, and it is now my go to needle.  I just have to get used to it being longer as I would stick my left thumb every once in a while, and it eventually looked a little bit like a pincushion.

I have been following Clare Bradshaw at The Steady Thread.  She has been doing a 2023 Botanical Blackwork Stitch-a-long that is gorgeous.  I have done Blackwork once before and have always liked how it looks.  I am interested in doing her Stitch-a-long but have held myself in control.  She has this smaller Blackwork pattern that caught my eye.  It is called 100 Days of Tiny.  It will not take me 100 days.  Sorry the picture is so dark.  It has been a dark rainy day, and the light is starting to set.  Can't say sun as there hasn't been any all day.

I am back to hand quilting on my 3030 Quilt.  Don't know why I put it into timeout but maybe it is me that was in timeout.  I am so close to finishing it and I want something else on the frame.  Good thing that I took pictures in the beginning as I forgot where I was going.  Lesson learned.  Keep a written pattern or path.  I don't want to unroll it.

I have not forgotten my sheep.  I need to finish blocking and do a bit of unknitting.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Enjoy your threads today.

A finish

The first Grandchild is expected to arrive at the end of November.  Our daughter is a geologist and enjoys dinosaurs.  She had seen this material back in 2022.  She goes by one of my rules: if you see a material that you think you would like to use in the future, buy it.  It won't be around forever.  (I don't have a big stash.  Just some special material.)

She picked up this dinosaur material with a purpose in mind.  A quilt for her first baby.  In July 2023 she looked at quilt patterns and picked Feathered to a T by Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene at Country Threads.  (They are no longer in business, but you can follow Mary at Country Threads Chicken Scratch.)  The quilt was stitched together by me.  We then chose a flannel sheet backing and cotton batting.

A special machine quilt pattern was desired.  Dave's Dino's by Urban Elementz.  I hope that you can see the three different dinosaurs that are the pattern.  I want to thank Stacey Gilfillan at Little Gilly Quilts for her wonderful work.  She is such a delight, and we are so pleased.

The quilt is now a finish and will be given away today.  We still have a bit of time to pass before we meet the newest member of our family.  

Now, to focus on another project to finish.  My Dirty Dozen number 11 slot has the sheep blankets (a slot for the third time).  Also, more leaves have gone on to the CWB Block.

May you enjoy your threads today.      

Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

Dirty Dozen, Squirrel

I am very pleased to say that my Dirty Dozen number 4 slot is all appliqued.  Here is Block 6: Hospitality Table from the Bountiful Life Quilt (also known as the Civil War Bride).  The fringe still needs to be stitch on the bottom of the tablecloth and that will be done today while watching football.  Block completion.

Block 5: Pair of Golden Eagles has been started.  This block has many leaves, several vines and the two eagles.  Here is where two evenings of stitching has me.  Stitching will continue.

Jo at Jo's Country Junction had a stitch-a-long that began on 20 September. These are Redwork Pears by Annie Beez Folk Art.  They were stitched on a 36-count linen and with Classic Colorworks silk thread.  Once I started, I couldn't put them down.  Now they are a stitched squirrel.  Shall have to work on getting them sewn together.

The cooler weather has moved in, and it continues to rain.  My hummer feeders are put away for the fall/winter.  I won't put up the seed feeders until the middle of December.  

Linking up to Kathy's Quilts and Slow Stitching Sunday.  Enjoy your day with threads.

 

Autumn, Decisions

I haven't seen a hummer at my feeders for three days now.  They are heading out to where it is warm. The hummer feeders are left up for two weeks after I see the last one, changing the hummer water every two days.  It is there waiting for the late travelers.  Sad to see them go but I look forward to seeing them next spring.

Autumn began yesterday and as they say in Game of Thrones; "Winter is coming."  Winter is my favorite season.  So, winter stitching.

We have three daughters.  The first two are my gift daughters, gifted to me when I married my husband.  The youngest is our daughter.  For her first Christmas I made her this stocking from a kit by Current, Inc. in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  After her first Christmas it became a tree ornament and gets hung every year.

With our first Grandchild arriving in November, another one was made (well two).  We will not know who is arriving until the little one gets here. The request was for one in blue.  Youngest likes blue and wants it different from hers.  That is not a hint, as whomever is there gave wrong information with early ultrasounds.  If it is boy or girl has changed.  But everyone still has to wait to find out who is there.  I like it that way.

I begin my stitching from the center and the bear was dressed in blue.  I couldn't see the stocking blue, so I stitched the outside in the red.  The material will be the lining and the backing.

But, as a mom, I do what is asked.  I made another one in blue.  The red still looks more like Christmas to me.  I showed them to our youngest and she can't decide,

The little one will show up at the end of November so there will be time to finish with name and date.  They have time to make up their mind on which one to finish.

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

Dirty Dozen

Mary Etherington at Country Threads Chicken Scratch runs the Dirty Dozen.  It began in July and you either chose to work by number, color, or both.  I joined this year and wrote up my list using the number method.  I have shown it to you before and here it is hanging above my cutting table.  It is to be a constant reminder. 

The first number was 7 and that was my sheep blankets.  They are not finished but are moving along.  Even though you are to pick and work on a new project each month to finish, I will l not stop this project until it is done.  The two centers are now together, and I checked out the borders.  I have four made.  You can see a bit of the lay out.  Only one border fits, the other three I need to shorten, unknit.  Then knit the last four.

But I have to bury the ends and block all the sheep dog parts.  The first one will go under the towels today.  The ends have been buried.

The sheep blankets were number 7 and I added them to last month, number 10.  I didn't have any handwork there.  (I did but more on the framing side.  I'll explain more later.)  

This month is number 4, A Bountiful Life (Civil War Bride).  My mind is so scattered that I didn't remember that I was working on this block when we traveled to Ireland in April.  It was one of two hand projects that I came with me.  I have reevaluated it and am missing four berries.  That I knew, lost them on the plane.  

So today I will make up more berries and get them stitched on and I can begin the table legs and then the table.  I will use my Applipops to make the berries.  They are one of the great inventions of applique.  

I have been invaded by squirrels but cannot show yet.  Thank goodness for the Dirty Dozen list or I would never get anything completed.  Everything would be just parts.  Not that anything is done yet but getting closer.

Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Enjoy your threads today.

 

Finish, Dirty Dozen

Jo at Jo's Country Junction has a stitch-a-long happening.  It is the Quaker Wisdom Berries by Erica Michaels.  My three are stitched and even finished!  These are the first berries that I have made.  A video by Vonna Pheiffer showed me how to finish them.  She is a wonderful finisher.  I see what I could have done better but I am very happy.

You can't see all the animals.  A bee for selflessness; a dog for loyalty; a dove for simplicity and peace; and a lamb for humility.

Mary Etherington at Country Threads Chicken Scratch hosts the Dirty Dozen.  July and August were dedicated to getting the centers of my sheep blankets put together.  It was going to be finished in July but it became too hot to work with wool.  The centers are now put together and I now will evaluate the borders.  I thought I had knit them all, but no.  I need to see what I have and what needs to be done.  This will continue to be worked on to get them finished.

For September the number is 4.  On my list that is the Civil War Bride and finishing an Advent Calendar.  I have the calendar out and now need to look at where I am on the Civil War Bride.  My plan of action will be set soon.     

Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  I do have some slow stitching that I am working on.  Hope to show you next week.  Enjoy your threads.    
 

Hummers

Autumn is coming.  Some trees in the Berkshires have begun to turn their leaves. 

My hummer visitors have been fewer this week.  I have two hummer feeders that have been busy since they were put out in the middle of April.  That is when our first hummers usually show up.  The last few weeks I have been having families come to the feeders.  As many as a dozen will feed together.  I have two feeders placed about 10 feet apart in the garden around the deck. 

Notice the ant moats, the red thing hanging above the feeders.  I usually have to add water to the moats several times a week.  This summer we have had so much rain that I only filled them up when I first set out the feeders.  Mother Nature has kept them filled all summer.  They really work well to keep the ants away from the sugar water.

The Tuna Quilters met this week, and we had 'show and tell'.  They were kind and held up Heartfelt so that I could take a better picture.  It was such a sunny Monday that we took the picture under the tree.  If you look at any of the HST borders, on the left, you can see when the HSTs change direction.  That was done so that the HST would make the border corners be a square.  

We have exciting news.  Exciting for my husband and I, along with the rest of the family.  We are expecting our first Grandchild in November.  Our youngest and her husband gave us the news in May.  They know who it will be but are not letting anyone else know.  We have been told that the baby will let us know when it is born.

So, I made this Peter Rabbit quilt.  A kit that I picked up during a Shop Hop in 2013.  Peter Rabbit is one of my favorite book series, along with Winnie the Pooh.  This is a panel so all I had to do was add two borders.  Really a fast make.  This one I will machine quilt.

Then I made this quilt.  Our youngest is a geologist and loves dinosaurs.  She had found this dinosaur material in 2022.  This quilt is Feathered to a T by Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene and found in their Fresh Start Quilts book.  A dinosaur edge to edge machine quilt pattern has been found.  Now we need to see who will quilt it.

I hope that you all have a wonderful day and enjoy your threads.  Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Something

Mother Nature has been a better gardener this year than I.  I was looking out the kitchen window and saw yellow in a raised bed area that I had given up on.  There is this two-foot sunflower growing.  The birds or squirrels must have planted it.  They are the better gardeners this year for sure.  

I have completed three flimsies this week.  I can only show you Heartfelt at this time.  The Tuna Quilters are meeting tomorrow, and I want them to meet the other two first.  Their pictures will be shown next week.  

I can't believe what a procrastinator I am.  All I had to do was add the final border on this one.  I am so glad that it is a flimsy. Now to decide if it will be hand or machine quilted.  This is the largest quilt I have ever pieced.  It is draped over a queen size bed with lots of hang over.  WOW.  Heartfelt is one of my Dirty Dozen.

Here is a picture of the borders.  

One of the berries has been finished.  The butterfly represents selflessness and the dog is loyalty.  I am trying to decide if I can stitch the other one on the other end of the linen.  The berrry shape will be drawn out and then I think, hard. 

 

Enjoy your threads today.  We are to have more rain, thunderstorms.  I guess I know where I will be.  Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

August

A week has gone by, and I have been working with threads and material, but it doesn't look like very much.  (I try to keep a written record of what I have been working on, and the hours, to show myself I really haven't been lazy.)  I have spent hours outdoors working on the gardens as we haven't had much rain this week.  Only rained twice and it was in the afternoon.  The gardens are a bit of a loss this year.  They are green, gorgeous weeds, too much rain.

Here is the beginning of a kids quilt.  Dinosaur material and 216 2-inch HST.  I have six of the nine blocks done.  I am needing to piece this in parts, so I really don't mess up.  So far it is working. 

I have joined Jo's Country Junction's stitch along.  It is the Quaker Wisdom Berries by Erica Michaels.

I just set up the frame, made a working copy of the pattern, and divided the threads.  This will be my new slow stitching for a bit.

In the land of the Dirty Dozen found at Country Threads Chicken Scratch by Mary Etherington, the number for August is 10.  In that space on my list only embroidery was there.  The sheep blankets have now been placed there.  The sheep blocks need to continue getting joined together.  Onward.

Have a wonderful day with your threads.  Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  See you next week.

 

Not much

It has been hot.  I know that we are not as hot as Texas, Florida or other places.  But it has been hot and humid for New England.  Hot (90s), rainy and humid.  Not what we are used to, or our houses made for.  No central air.  I have not been able to touch wool so there has not been any progress on the sheep blankets.  Once the weather breaks, I will get back to them.

I have been doing some sewing with the machine.  Piecing some blocks for our youngest as requested.  Will show you when I get farther along.

The six beaded Christmas ornaments are completed.  The chalet with the thread and needles attached was finished a few minutes ago.  This picture was taken earlier this evening.  I am so glad these are done. Well, almost done.  Cardstock needs to be glued to the back to protect the threads.  Before I do that, I need to figure out how they will hang from the tree.

Now I need to figure out what will be my next slow stitching project.  There are a couple of ideas in the queue.  

Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  May you all enjoy your threads and are able to stay cool and hydrated.

 

15 Minutes

Tuesday, we drove up to Maine to see two of our kids.  It is a four-hour drive and I like to work on something while riding in the car.  The second sheep blanket and vertical joining would be a good project to take along.  Fifteen minutes in, I broke the darning needle that I was using and didn't have another.  Best laid plans.......

 

I was able to borrow a darning needle from our youngest.  She is the only one of three girls who likes fibers and threads.  The vertical block joining was completed, and the horizontal row joining begun.  The second blanket is almost done with the joining of blocks.  I will then go back to the rows of the first blanket.  

I do have sad news.  I never finished knitting the border rows.  I only have what I think are the side rows done and still have to knit the top and bottom rows.  When I get the sheep blocks together, I will then reevaluate and see what I have to knit.

When we came back from Maine on Friday, I found that we had 3 inches of rain while we were gone.  It is raining now and to rain all day today.  I will never catch up with my weeds.

May your day with threads be enjoyable.  Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

List, No List

Sometimes it may be good to procrastinate (not really).  When I knit, I knit in the round.  I don't do seams.  I don't really enjoy seams.  I like to have a knitting project done when I am done.  I usually only have the underarms or toes to seam and the sweater or socks are done.

I needed to go to the video world out there to figure out how to join these blocks.  That lead me to the mattress stitch.  It is done vertical and horizontal.  I have the blocks of one of the blankets together with the vertical mattress stitch.  I will (read should have) take a picture to show you the seam.  I am so pleased.  This took about six hours to stitch, over several evenings.  I will vertical stitch the other blanket and then begin the horizontal stitch.

I was picking up and putting away threads from the sheep bag project.  I said to self, "You CANNOT put this scissor fob and pin cushion on the list.  Make them NOW".  So, I went to make them and found out that I had not made the spring or winter ones.  What a non-finish person I am.

The scissor fobs have been made and attached to scissors.  I do have a stash of little scissors.  The purple ones on the right are the best. Whenever I place an order and need just a little bit more to get free shipping, I will add a pair.  Our youngest daughter also has several pairs as I really don't need them all.  But it helped having so many as they always were where I wasn't.  I am finding the fobs work.  I can find them.

Pincushions will be done this week.

Now, it is very important to read the description of a kit very well.  I had seen these Christmas ornaments in a catalog and thought they were cross stitch.  I make ornaments for the kids each year.  (Kids, our adult kids.)  I thought this would be a nice idea and I could get them done quickly.  Well, as you can see, it is not cross stitch.  It is stitching beads onto the paper.  Kinda like half cross stitch with beads.  Don't know that I would have ever thought to do this.  But here I am.  One done, five to go.

Enjoy your day and threads.  I will start my day weeding.  We have had so much rain that I haven't been able to get out to weed.  They are now taller than me.  Beading and mattress stitch will be this evening.

Linking to Sunday Slow Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.