June?!

Hello.  

I cannot believe that I haven't been here for four weeks.  Life has been busy, I think.  We did have our living room, dining room, entry way and stairs touched up.  We had them refinished about five years ago and some traffic areas needed a touch up.  That meant moving furniture out.  Some to my sewing cave and some to the garage.  

Gibbs and Ziva went to the kitty spa, and we went to Maine.  Visit with family was great but it was also good to come home and put the house back together.  (And get my sewing cave empty of what doesn't belong there.)

Some work with thread has occurred.  Here is Faded Flag by Robin Sample.  I am not sure how I will finish it.  She made it into a long thin pillow.  The stitch area is 1 1/2 inches by 8 1/4 inches.  It was a quick and enjoyable stitch using Dinky Dyes silk thread.  The red is variegated.

Here is Pollinator's Garden by October House.  Another delightful stitch.

Both of these were stitch-a-longs at Jo's Country Junction.

My Season and Time by Moira Blackburn is probably 3/4 done.  The turn to work on the right side has happened and it is exciting to see the end somewhat close.  

When I was back in my sewing cave and finding out where projects had been moved, my 365 Little Blocks showed up.  Here are the three that I made this week.  It is embarrassing to say that the last time it was worked on was July 28, 2024.  There are now 249 blocks finished.  Keep going I shall. 

For a leader ender I have been making scrappy nine-patch blocks.  Had an idea for a quilt but have now seen one with the nine-patch on point.  That is the direction this quilt may be headed.  Over 100 have been made.  

Enjoy your threads this day.  Once again, now 13 weekends in a row, we have rain.  Like many areas in New England and elsewhere.  My weeds are so happy.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Almost

Halfway that is.  Season and Time by Moira Blackburn has caught my time.  Here is where I began since I was last here.  Ready to take a roll.

Beginning of the next section (that I won't tell you I had almost done, two rows from the finish, and saw an error from the beginning that I could not leave.  Started one stitch to the left and one higher than the start should have been.  If I left the error, it wouldn't have been placed proper.  So, I took it all out which took less time that to stitch it in.  You can see it in the next picture in its proper place.)

At the last roll on this side.  I just have that side of flowers to finish and then the two-color edge.  Also, the lowercase letter a.  Then I will be halfway done.  Rolling the frame next to the right.  I am a stitcher that starts in the center.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  

Enjoy your day with your threads.  Mine won't begin until later today.  The garden is calling me.  We have had nothing but cold and rain this week.  My weeds are amazing.

 

Tete a tete

Daffodils they are.  Five inches tall.

January 2024 a friend gave me a small pot with tete a tete daffodils in it.  They were beautiful in a cold, snowy winter.  I kept them alive after the flowers were finished and planted them in a bed with larger daffodils.  I wasn't sure if they would come back but it was worth a try.  When I drove down the driveway this week, I saw this little spot of yellow.  They came back!!  

Spring has arrived in the Berkshires!!    

Season and Time by Moira Blackburn had not been stitched on since December 2024.  Since I can see small stuff again she was worked on.  This section was stitched to the point that it needed to be moved.

Moved it was and that tree has sections that I have unstitched twice.  Miscounted.  It is waiting for me as I type to remove another section.  More miscounting.  That is how my day will begin, and I really hope not how it ends.

Enjoy your threads.  After I have frogged again, I will enjoy mine.  ;)

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.
 

Vision

Good day.  This is being written on Saturday afternoon.  The last two weeks have been busy and wonderful.  April 2nd and 16th, Cataract surgery was done on my eyes.  The results have been very pleasing except for one thing.  I can easily see the dust in my house now.  Darn, I need to remedy that.  

I used to wear contacts to see and used readers to do handwork.  You need to be without contacts for one month before they can measure your eyes for IOL lens.  My contacts ran out at the end of November and my bifocal glasses weren't proper enough to be able to see to sew fine work.  (My cataract evaluation was the first week in December.  First opening in the schedule for surgery was April.)  

No problem now.

My April block for Laurel Ridge BOM is now done.  

The buttons have now been stitched onto this project bag.  

The pincushion has also been stitched.  It is amazing how much clearer I can see the linen, easier to stitch.  Now on to the scissor fob.  That will be my slow stitching for Sunday.

May all of you have a Blessed Easter.  

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Block 10

Another block has been finished for A Bountiful Life.  This is Block #10: Ostrich Pair.  I need to stitch in their eyes.  When I look at the picture in the book of this block their eyes are light.  I shall do the same.    

Stitching with black thread on black material is not my favorite thing to stitch.  I could only do it during the day.  Even with the Ott light there was not enough light for me to stitch comfortably.

Now on to Block #11: Bird of Paradise.  The block was traced today, materials will be picked tomorrow and then stitching begins.

As I write this, it is Saturday and we are grey, mist and rain.  A Weather Storm Watch says we are to expect freezing rain overnight and sleet into tomorrow morning.  Two daughters in Maine are under a Weather Storm Watch of up to six inches of snow today with the sleet, freezing rain on Sunday.  Spring in New England.  

Enjoy your threads.  I am enjoying mine.  

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

A Bountiful Life: Block #10

Handwork has been getting stitched.  Block 10: Ostrich Pair from A Bountiful Life has grown.  Once again, several different ways of applique have been used.  The leaves were done with "back-basting needle turn applique".

The flowers were done by "needle turn applique with paper on top".

The center pink and green circles were done using my applipops and starch.  That makes the circles firm, and they stay nice and round.

 

Tomorrow, Sunday, I will work on the ostriches.  They are larger pieces and right now I am thinking of the back-basting needle turn method. The final decision on what material to use will be made tomorrow.  (Two color ways have been set out.)  Another block will then be done.

Enjoy your threads.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.
 

Twelve

That is the number of my next set of blocks for Laurel Ridge.  This set is applique, which I do like, slow stitching.  There are many ways to applique.  For the melon shapes on this block, I did a back-basting needle turn technique.  Here is where I drew the shape on the back of the block.

The shapes were then basted, the edge needle turned and then stitched down, all twelve blocks.

For making my circles I have used Applipops and starch.  A small applique pin is used to hold the circle in place as I start to stitch. Five blocks have come this far.  When all the circles are done, they will be half finished.

A squirrel did come by and was caught.  The two January Tea and Cookies mats from Shabby Fabrics were made.  Larger than a mug mat but smaller than a place mat.  Zig zag stitches are still needed around the snowflakes on the mug.  That is a fusible piece of applique. 

The last two weeks here have been snow, ice, grey, cold and windy.  Today the sun is shining and that makes 18F enjoyable.  With the wind chill, we have felt like -18F at times.

Slow Stitching today will be applique on my blocks.  May you enjoy your threads and stay warm and safe.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.