Thanksgiving & Christmas

As I have said earlier, our youngest is the only one of three that likes threads.  

She  began her first quilt about 8 years ago, this Chevron quilt.  It was only a pile of blocks that lived on my design wall for a bit.  I took it down and put it in a box where it waited.  (She had three moves and two job changes)

In September we went up to Maine to visit the ocean and Middle and Youngest.  The box went with us and was left with its owner.  At Thanksgiving, we returned to Maine and the quilt was waiting to be sandwiched.  Here, Youngest is finishing the pinning of the layers with straight pins and Pin Mors, my favorite way to do this.

I sewed around the edges as she prepared Thanksgiving dinner.  (Their smoked  turkey, and all the sides, were VERY good.)

She machine quilted it (stitched in the ditch) and brought it home for Christmas.  

Christmas Day afternoon we trimmed the quilt.  We cut, folded and ironed the binding.  Then the the binding was sewed on by machine.  All that she had left to do was hand stitch the the binding to the back.  

Yesterday I received these photos on my phone.  Her first UFO is no longer.  Her first quilt is done.  

I must say that crochet is her favorite thread activity.  There are no UFOs found waiting with that.

Enjoy your day and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  May your 2022 be filled with goodness and joy. 

 

Three Mats

This has been a busy week.  I really not sure why, but it was.  My Three Things did not get enough stitches placed to make a difference to show you. 

But, I did make three Reindeer Mug Mats.  These were made using the Foundation Paper Piecing technique.  The face was made as one part of the pattern.  The antlers were made using five parts of the pattern.  Then all the parts are put together.   

Two of these will be leaving home today to live with a friend.

Today's slow stitching will be Three Things.  Linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday.  May you have a great day.   

 

Late

By one year.

This bookmark, maybe longer.  

I don't know why it takes me so long to begin the final step, finishing.  I would like to believe that I am not the only one with this problem.

Our youngest (our three girls are all adults but still have designations) is the only one who enjoys threads and material like me.  She made this bookmark while in High school or College.  It was then given to me to finish.  I found it the other day and it took an hour to make.  Why do I....

This Christmas Tree wall hanging she made last year (after she had the material for a bit).  It also was given to me to finish.  This week I sandwiched it, free motion quilted it (using rulers), trimmed it, put on the binding by machine, finished the binding by hand and lastly put on a hanging sleeve.  About six to eight hours work.  It is now ready to be brought to the Post Office tomorrow.  

Why so long to start and get it done?  My forever question.

 

I have been working on Three Things in the evening.  This is the bottom row of flowers.  The last row of green thread is the border that will have a little red(ish) flower with it.  I began it to see what space it would take up;.  

The space between the house row and the flowers will have words.  What the designer has done is her name and a saying.  My full name is to long so I may just put in my first name as I do like her saying.  Right now I am waiting until the end to do those words.

Linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday.  

Three Things will be my focus today.  The New England Patriots have their Bye Week.  No need for (almost) complete attention to the games. 

 

Three Things Continues

I was slowed down a bit as Three Things did not travel to Maine over Thanksgiving. 

The house is done and I am almost finished with this section.  On the right I have flowers to fill in on the tree and another peacock to make.  Then there is that little tree thing to finish.  

The section below is a pattern of flowers and vine and then I begin the outer border.  The outer border goes across the bottom and up the sides.  When I get the border up to where I began, the upper section begins.

Linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching.  May your day have moments of thread.

 

Ella Maria Continues

Broderie Perse on a Pieced Block-Block 23

This block is first pieced. Then I cut out parts of a motif that was printed on material.  I then rearranged the parts and appliqued them to the center of the block.  This is the first time that I had ever used this technique.  I have several more blocks to make using Broderie Perse.

Pieced-Block 27

 

Pieced-Block 34

Applique-Block 40

We went up to Maine for Thanksgiving and to keep my hands happy, I set this up as a kit.  I also had another block ready to work on and my knitting,  I was able to knit in the car, four hours up and then five hours when we returned.  (Busy Pike around Worcester on a Saturday.)  Didn't get to work on my projects much while at our daughter's house.  We sandwiched a quilt for her and then just a little knitting for me.  I appliqued this Sunday and Monday during football time.

Have a nice day and may your hands be happy and busy.

 

Ella Maria Deacon and Siding the House

This weeks Ella Blocks.  They were made earlier this the year.  You are getting to see them in bits. 

Each of my working quilts has a 3 ring binder where the pattern lives until the quilt is finished.  I keep track of the date the block was made, any great issues (like a total redo of the block) and any notes to make the block.  

Of the 85 Blocks for this quilt, 36 are made.  Block 40 is prepped for visiting on Thanksgiving Day.  (I just cannot watch football without something keeping my hands busy). 

Foundation Paper Pieced-Block 9

Foundation Paper Pieced-Block 18

Pieced and Applique-Block 20

Pieced-Block 21

I have finished 1/4 of Three Things.  When you look to the right, you can see the lower edge of flowers.  That is the bottom of the pattern section that I was working on.  

I am now rolling embroidery under the frame and moving toward the bottom.  The house was worked on for several hours yesterday and the siding is still not finished.  The siding, windows and doors will get done with football today and then I can begin to put in the lawn.  Big, chunky areas take so much time.  They are pretty when done, but I do like to work a more open area.

Linking up with Slow Stitching this morning.  Enjoy your day

 

Did I Do This Right?

This is the first time that I have ever linked to anything.  I have been visiting Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts for quite awhile.   The handwork everyone is working on is beautiful.  

I decided try and share what I am working on.  

Here is my newest start.  Three Things by Moira Blackburn, This is a kit from Bothy Threads.  It called to me for three reasons.  I enjoy count work, the colors are beautiful (not my usual comfort range) and our youngest is named Moira.

My assistant is Ziva.  She is watching the thread under the Aida to make sure it does not get twisted.  She is also holding up the edge of the frame with her backside.  

This pattern has eight parts.  I have put the parts that go across the Aida together and am working across all the way.  I have begun in the center and am working down.  As of present, (not this photo) I am almost finished with the first lower section.  That should be completed while 'watching' the football games today.  Then I will begin the bottom section.  When that is done, I will begin the border across the bottom and work my way up.

Now.  To see if I can link this up and share.  May your slow stitching day be enjoyable.

 

Ella Maria Deacon

As I have noted before, the Ella Maria Deacon Quilt is from 1842.  It is made of 85 blocks, which finish as a 9 inch block.  Gay Bomer of Sentimental Stitches has written up the pattern for each block.  They are all out now and some people have their blocks all done.  Not me.  I am about 1/4 of the way through, I think.  I am going to have to reevaluate what is done.  I have been keeping a written record but is it up to date? 

The majority of the blocks are applique, which I do enjoy.  I just need to keep a prepped block waiting for me by my chair.  Sometimes I get so lazy with the prepping.

Applique-Block 6

Pieced-Block 12

Pieced with Appliqued Hearts-Block 14

Foundation Paper Pieced-Block 15

Thank goodness that block was done that way.  Making foundation parts and then putting them together is an easy way to go.  If I had to cut up each part to size and then put it together, not sure if I would have made as nice a block.

 

412 Days

That is how long it has been since I was last here.  

I have been making things but .......

I have been working on three BOMs, Ella Maria Deacon, 365 Littles, and Heartfelt.  I have decided that it is not good for me to work on three at the same time.  I haven't had a finish in a bit.  I am slow at keeping up and have learned that I need to focus on one thing at times to keep the energy going.  

So, I decided to make three little boy quilts.  They are quicker to reach the done point.  The first is for a give away to a 2 year old boy and his family (friends of daughter #2).  This is an I SPY quilt.  I bought the panel, cut up the parts, put it back together with sashing and borders.  The sandwich was made with a flannel backing.  Very simple machine quilting and all done in a week.  Enjoy it Dylan.

The next two were made for my great nephews.  My sister, their Grandmother, found the World map and asked me if I would make it into a quilt for Corbin, age 4.  I said yes (but she had to order me a panel also).  This was a quick put together but the machine quilting was a bit fussier.  I quilted around the animals and then made longitude and latitude lines on the map.  I used a constellation material for the background.  

You cannot make one map quilt for one brother and not the other.  I was able to find this panel, a map of the United States.  This is for Gibson, age 2.  Again I quilted around the animals and then the states.  Even tiny Rhode Island was quilted around.  Then there was a piano border around the map.  This has a planet backing (my sister did not take a picture of the back).

I was so excited to send off the quilts that I forgot to take pictures.  My sister sent the pictures to me after their arrival. 

Other projects have been completed and some new starts.  I will return and get them recorded on this blog.

May your day be sunny and warm.  We have rain, again, and it is a cloudy grey.