Two Squirrels

First Squirrel.  This is the front window where the bird feeders are in the winter.  (It is known as Kitty TV.)  A squirrel planted this for me.  It is right next to the foundation, so I had to support it due to the rain that made it tip over.  My bamboo poles all went to Maine so a Shepard's hook for the feeders was used.  Next year I will plant some Russian mammoth sunflower seeds out front (away from the foundation).  I am enjoying watching this from my chair.

Now for the second squirrel.  A friend told me about how she and three others were to start a stitch on the 4th of July.  It is the Plum Street Samplers: America 250.  I joined in and I am glad that I did.

I am a center starter and began with The Stamp Act of 1765.  That is the red rectangle in the center.  This stamp was found on articles that were being taxed in the Colonies by England's Parliament.  As said on the pattern's description, this led to the political slogan "No taxation without representation" as the Colonies had no say in what they were being taxed on.  (No politics here.  Just history.)

This is being stitched on 32 count linen and some of the stitches were 1 over 1.  I am so glad that I started with the stamp as it may be the fussiest part of this whole project.

Here the center from top to bottom is stitched.  Now the stitching will be going to the right and then back to go left.  This is being shown to you vertical, but it is being held and stitched in a horizontal position.  My camera ran out of battery so the stand that I use cannot be shown.  

This has been stitched while watching the World Cup which ends today.  Yesterday's game between England and France was the best that I have seen in a long time.

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

 

June

It has been busy since I was last here.  My Cave has been overwhelmed with the quilting stash that belonged to the grandmother of one of our daughters' friends.  It had been in storage, an attic, for 15 years.  It now needed a new home.  My daughter volunteered to help, that included me.  The machines and books have gone to new homes and so has about 4 boxes of material.  Still have maybe 12 boxes of material left to find new homes.  It will be accomplished. 

Also, May was a cold wet month here and I did not go and work in the gardens.  I am paying for that now.  Still have not caught up.  The deer have also liked my tomato plants this year.  I think I may have found a fence that does not make me feel shut it.  So far, it has worked in keeping them out and I am happy working there.  Maybe I will have tomatoes.  

This table runner, Patriotic Eagle from Piecing the Past Quilts was made into a flimsy Sept 2024.  It told me that it wanted to be hand quilted.  I agreed.  First quilted in the ditch around the eagle and then the tail was done. 

The shield is now being worked on and am thinking of what more may need to be done to the wings.  Crosshatch is what is being thought of for the background.  

I am thinking of feathers on his neck.  Will keep talking with him to see what he wants.

Glad to be back and may your day be wonderful.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy' Quilts.
 

Lazy

Lazy when it comes to taking a picture or writing a blog post.  My last post was back in March, and it is now the first of May.  

There has been activity on the thread and fabric front.  Laurel Ridge had all her blocks put together.  A pause needed to be taken.  Now I am ready to put on her two borders.  One is 1.5 inches in width (which finishes at 1 inch), and the outer border is 4.5 inches.  Then she will be done and shall have to think of how she will be quilted.

 

Slow stitching: these are from a kit by Herrschners from many years ago.  I was looking for something for my fingers to work with, so these were begun.  They are supposed to be ornaments but I may turn the blocks into a quilt or a runner.  There are 30 different designs in total.

Here is the last one that I began before a squirrel came by.  Getting ready to get back to this.

Here is the squirrel.  Stitcher's Garden Berries by Erica Michaels.  They are all being worked on the same piece of linen.  I marked the outline of the berry before stitching so the placement of the stitching would workout.  So far, so good.  

Then a quilt top that I had made in 2024: On the Farm by Sweet Jane.  It had been sandwiched and then machine quilted around the blocks.  Could not come up with an idea on how to continue.  It sat.

My mind made the decision to hand quilt this.  (A wonderful decision if I may say so.)  I am using my Barnett hoop on its stand.  The outside of each baby animal has been quilted and then inside each wreath.

You can see the pattern quilting in the border of the square blocks.  I am thinking of a small animal or heart in the green centers.  My favorite square is the "hairy coo" (baby Highland cow), and then the donkey.

Alphabet letters and numbers will go around the border.  This is made for our granddaughter so her name will also be quilted in the border.  Maybe also the names of the pets and her parents.  Shall see how much space there is to do this.  

My daughter asked that I use a flannel sheet of hers.  (It had never been used as we use a duvet to cover the bed comforter.)  Wonderful way to use up something.

Well, lazy to post in April but not really lazy when working with threads.  

Spring is slow in coming to the Berkshires and all that I have done in the yard is clean up where the peonies are.  Our days are staying mostly in the 40s and I have become such a wuss. When I do get out there, it is enjoyable.   

Enjoy your day and threads.

 

Squirrel!

Laurel Ridge is moving along.  It is now at the point where it is in nine parts.  Next, the nine parts will be stitched together, and it will become the center of the quilt.  Then two borders to be stitched on.  They will be the easiest part, I think.

Last week a squirrel came zipping by.  It is the Sampler Bag from Shepard's Bush in Ogden, Utah.  I have watched this for a bit and somehow it was in my mailbox (I must have placed an order).  

The bag is done except for the buttons which need to be stitched on.  These project bags are just the nicest thing, and I do use them regularly.  Fun to make and fun to use.

The top half is the pincushion.  The bottom half is the scissor keepers.  One will become a scissors keeper.  The second one will be added to the back of the pincushion with my name and year.

Our snow has melted, only some is left near the tree lines.  Not as many birds are at my feeders.  Spring must be coming.  (For sure it is pothole season.)  But it is currently 33F outside and we are under a wind advisory with intermittent snow.  New England weather is amazing.  

Enjoy your threads this day.  Thinking of what UFO will next have my attention.  Can't allow myself to start anything new.  Need to empty some of these project boxes.

 

March

Four weeks ago, my husband had the COVID.  Two weeks ago, I was the recipient of his sharing.  The usual symptoms.  Filling my birdfeeders outside once a day was the extent of my activity.  The body was exhausted and brain wasn't working.

Early last week I decided to see if I could put a block together for Laurel Ridge.  This is the first time in a long time that I had to mark my pieces to know what I was doing.  I was so careful and reviewed the directions at every step. 

It worked.  The block was put together without help from Jack.

But I did have help from Gibbs. Here he is holding down pieces of the next series of blocks.

I had to place them on the wall to make sure they were in proper order.  It worked.  Only one more of this section needs to be stitched together.

This is the first time in a long time that I have played thread chicken and did not even know it.  You can see that the spool is empty.  

There was enough thread to be able to stitch to the end of the block.  

Laurel Ridge Quilt is at the stage of putting the parts together.  I have enjoyed this quilt, and it has taught me something very important.  Part way through I started to use starch on the blocks with super small parts.  I have used starch before and had mixed feelings about it.  After this quilt, starch is the way to go.  

Enjoy your day.  We are having a sunny day in the 30s.  Our snowpack is decreasing.  That means I will need to get outside and shovel some of the snowpack where the birds have dropped the shells of seeds.  Maybe that will help with spring clean-up.

Done

The last three of this block have been finished.  Here they are under my clappers after their last press.  There were only two mistakes made with the rest of the blocks.  Both mistakes were caught before I moved on to the next step.  I have been paying better attention.

This is a nice block when it is finished.  I am really pleased to have made them but super pleased that they are finished.  Not sure that I am a small piece piecer.

My pile of blocks waiting to be put into the box holding all the previously made.  

Now to clean my machine and thank it for all its work.  Then material prepping.  The next block is only eight.  (Dancing as I type.)

Enjoy your day and your threads.   

We are now warm enough for a little snow, 25F.  The sky is grey; the birds and squirrels are visiting the feeders.

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

DO YOU SEE IT!!!!!  I was reading my entry under the preview button and my block all by itself in the picture has a row put on backward!  I am not done!  I just saw another one!  Smack myself in the head.

Update:  it was the last seam on the last three blocks that I had to restitch.  Put each one on upside down.  It was an easy fix, and they are now in the box with the others.

 

Attention please

I am talking to me.  My mind cannot wander.

The blocks have begun to be put together.  The third block had an error.  I felt it under my finger as it was going under the needle, but I did not pay attention.  It has been fixed.  Had to take one row off totally and only half of the other.  Put together without a problem but fiddly and took sewing time from today.

Yesterday, after noticing my piecing error, I decided to work on something else.  Some Aida cloth needed to be cut.  A bit of cross stitching is being done and working with a smaller piece was easier.  I thought that I had moved pieces for the next two blocks far enough to the side.  WRONG!!  As my cutter was going over the Aida cloth, I could feel an area was thicker.  Moan!!  Did not want to look but I did.  That was the end of my working with material for the day.  Picked up a bit and turned off the lights.

Another hourglass block was made today (Really two, so I now have a spare.  May it not be needed.)  Then the third block was fixed and two more were made.  Five done and only eleven to go.  More attention was paid today and no further errors.  (Cross my fingers for the future.)

Enjoy your day.  We are now 31F but grey, cloudy and wind.