Finishes

I have some finishes to share.  Last week I showed you the Silent Night Scalloped Table Topper from a Shabby Fabrics kit.  Today I can share with you two more that I have finished.  The one on the left is from the kit.  The one on the right is my choice of materials.

They were stitched in grey and I used fabric for the scallops that I picked up at my local quilt shop.  Again, the background are pieces that were from a Quilt Shop Hop years ago.  I have one more to make.  The pattern needs to be copied onto the fabric and then stitched.  That is a goal for this week.

Remember when I showed you back in June, a kit by Shepard's Bush?  All parts are now complete.  The bag, the pincushion and the scissor fobs.  They were all stitched at the same time.  I just never finished the putting together.  It took about 90 minutes to complete both fobs.  

Now it will be easier to find my scissors.  I have several pairs of this little scissor.  They are always going somewhere that I don't remember being.  I need to make fobs for all my little scissors.

My Slow Stitching today will be the 3030 Quilt.  No interesting football until 4:30 today.  Enjoy your threads.

Linking with Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.
 

Two of Five

It is 0545 on Sunday as I write this.  The cats woke me up at 0430 for breakfast but I closed the door on them.  They sat on the other side of the door and cried until I got out of bed an hour later.  They were just fed.  It is dark outside.  The wind is blowing.  Now that they have been fed, they have left me.

Here are the first two of five Silent Night Scalloped Table Toppers from Shabby Fabrics.  (I am not advertising, just giving credit where it is due.)  Her Thanksgiving topper and this one I really liked.  I sent for the pattern and kits.  Two can be made from the kit.  One has already been given away to my best lunch bud.  The other is mine.

The backing is from fat quarters that I had received on our local Shop-Hop over the years.  This is a good way to use up what I don't know what to do with.

There are three more to make.  Their material is from my stash and a trip to the quilt store.  Two have their embroidery stitching done, one needs to have the words drawn out on the material.  It will take me about eight hours to stitch the last one.  

The scallops are all cut for the three and will be sewn today.  Then I will put them together and you should see them next week.   

3030 Quilt has had another turn this week and is almost ready to turn again.  But I have been remiss in taking pictures.  It has been a dark and rainy week.  I need to be better at taking pictures.

Enjoy your slow stitching this day.  May your weather be nicer than ours is at the moment.  Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts. 
 

Finally, a Turn of the Frame

We have not been home much the last two weeks.  Family gatherings.  I am so pleased that I was able to turn the quilt frame for my 3030 Quilt today.  That means that I am just pass halfway.  What is more exciting is that the center block is more than halfway.  

I still like the rays in the center, but it is taking a bit of time.  Which seems to take forever when you aren't home.  We will stay put for a bit now.  Hope to turn again soon.

I have been stitching for two hours each day and wishing I could stitch longer.  This is where I will be after the Patriot's game tomorrow.  Enjoy your day.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

Halfway and 3 finishes

I am at the halfway on the center of my 3030 Quilt.  When I started the center, I was thinking of 1-inch spacing on the rays that.  I do like it at 1-inch but next time I may do a 2-inch spacing of the rays.  Every ray goes to the center and that is a bit of stitching and thread congestion.  I may go back and take out some.  It will all depend on how it looks when the upper part of the ray is stitched.  I still have the blue flower and the pink buds to stitch around the appliqué.  Blue flower will get some petals like the purple one.  

A second Thankful Scalloped Table Topper was completed.  The same thread colors were used for the stitching but different material for the scallops.

My 60-degree Diamond Table Topper: Love has been finished.  Well, almost.  I just realized when looking at the picture that I have to do a blanket stitch around the hearts.  They are only on with fabric adhesive that may lift off when washed.

The second pumpkin table runner is bound.

I used some fat quarters that I had to piece the backing.   Great way to use up novelty material.

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

Quick

Good morning.  This week has slowed me down from much to show on 3030 Quilt.  It has been a good week but busy outside my Cave.

I did finish stitching another Silent Night Scalloped Table Topper from Shabby Fabrics.  The star on the left is where I used one thread of metallic and one of DMC cotton.  The star on the right is where I used the two threads of metallic.  I like the one and one better and it was easier to stitch with.  I don't think that I lost too much of the sparkle.  Now to cut the scallops and put together.

I had a kit for a 60-degree Diamond Table Topper: Love.  (I bought this also from Shabby Fabrics.  I am not advertising for them.  If I see a pattern that I like in material that I like, I see no problem in buying it.  I just think I need to give them credit for having it.)

It went together really quickly and easily.  Perfect for the time I had.  Machine quilted in the ditch.  I shall trim it up, put on the binding and there is my slow stitching for today.

This is the second pumpkin table runner that I had pieced.  I had hand quilted the first one on the maiden run of my quilt frame.  It was already sandwiched and as I was sitting at Red, I machine quilted it with a meander.  I used the Winding Way ruler by DMQuilting.  Easy peasy, not much thinking and I like it.  

Now I need to trim, sew on binding and I have more slow stitching for today.

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

Road Trip(s)

This week life has kept me away from my 3030 Quilt.  

Below is what is made on road trips.  Shabby Fabric: Silent Night scalloped table topper.  I will be making two more of these to give away.   The outside circle is almost completed, then on to the sewing.  This one calls for a metallic gold thread.  I didn't find it that enjoyable to work with, so, on the next one I will use a non-metallic gold thread.  Then decide between the two which I will use on the third.

Only one day was spent with my 3030 Quilt.  The right side is half-way done.  I wanted to be farther along, but life.

Linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  This is what I will be doing this afternoon.  Enjoy your day.

 

Visitor

We have noted the most handsome visitor over the summer.  Yesterday we saw him (or her) taking a nap in the back yard.  He (she) left when we started taking pictures.  I keep telling Gibbs and Ziva that this is the reason they aren't allowed outside.  (Those are the raspberry beds in the background.  I need to clean them up for the winter.)

We put away the table umbrella last Saturday for the season.  In doing so I did in the tip of my right thumb.  I am still using a band aide for cushioning.  That slowed down my slow stitching for a bit, but I am back on track now.  Getting ready to do a turn of my 3030 Quilt.  I found this small piece that I will get back to before the turn.  I must have run out of thread and didn't mark it, so now I will have to go back to finish.  That will happen when I am done with going around the flowers.

Right Side

The Center.  

Left Side

The Thankful Scalloped Table Topper by Shabby Fabrics has been finished.  I am so pleased.  Fabric from my stash was used for the backing.  I am using the other piece to make another, which is now about halfway done.  The scallops will be made from material that is in my stash.  

May you all enjoy your day with threads.  

Prayers for all who are dealing with the aftermath of Ian. 

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

 

Slowdown happened

There has not been much stitching on my 3030 Quilt.  Friends have here for a wonderful visit.  (That is my slowdown.)

Instead, Block #9: Lucky Strawberries from my A Bountiful Life Quilt has been completed.  Now I need to pick my next block, get it traced out, material picked and then begin.

Slow stitching was needed for sitting in my chair time, so I set up this table topper from Shabby Fabrics.  It is stitched with the backstitch and has taken not very long to do.  This is the first time that I have backed any stitching with a fusible interfacing, as recommended in the pattern directions.  It is easy to do the backstitch through.  I shall see how it is when I add the scallops and the material backing.  I can see that this may be a good idea for a table topper.  Will see what I think when it is done and if I hand wash or toss into the washer.

I need to get something set up for this afternoon.  I don't have much chair work ready.  

Enjoy your day and your threads.

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

 

Almost

We were in Maine last week visiting the ocean and two of our girls.  Not much was done with my threads, and I have been slow to restart since we have been back.  The needle did start dancing again and I am almost halfway with the rays in my 3030 Quilt center block.  I am doing them every one inch which is probably over kill but it is my quilt.  I am enjoying doing the straight lines in all directions.  Stitching away from me is my favorite direction.

I will be putting in a bit of hours in this section as I am going around all the flower and leaves.  I did put petal lines on the three red and yellow flowers to the left.  Not sure if I will do it with the others.  Will it really matter.  I will wait to see how fussy I feel when I get to them.

I brought this to Maine with me to finish the caps.  Not done.  I guess that is why there is football today.  Hope to finish this while I watch the Pats.

Enjoy your threads today.  

Linking with Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

September

The weather has cooled down in the Berkshires.  We woke up with a temperature of 45F.  It was wonderful.  The windows were open upstairs, and it was wonderfully chilly when we got out of bed.  

The sad thing with the cooler weather is that my hummingbirds are leaving the area.  There are not as many at my feeders now.  I have two feeders, place 8 oz. of sugar water in each and it is gone in 24 hours.  Not so in the last three days.  I wish them all well on their travels.  See you next April.

3030 has had another roll.  Here is the pattern moving up the right side.

I am stitching a starburst from the center of the basket.  As I go around, I am stitching to outline the basket and flowers.  I will then stitch basket lines and flower petals.  

No countwork is set up.  Back to the applique of the strawberry caps on Block 9 of my Bountiful Life Quilt.  (The block is listed as number nine, the fourth block that I will have finished.)  Those caps are fussy stitching.

May you enjoy your threads this day.

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

 

Back Home

We have been out of town with family.  Not much hand work has been done but bits.  I am back in the cave today and doing cleaning, picking up.  Not fun but needed.

My thread friend showed me this project bag from Shepard's Bush, their Queen Bee Bag.  I enjoyed their Quilt Bag, so......  Here is the bag done.  You can tell that it is on my chair, I see thread.

The pincushion has been stitched.  My machine went out for a spa treatment while we were gone, and it just came home.  I will now get to making this.

Here I have made two fobs.  I need to sit and sew these and the quilt fobs.  The quilt fobs were placed together and have been waiting for the machine to come home.

I have done some stitching on my 3030 Quilt.  I am maybe a third of the way through the quilt.  You can see the beginning of the center block start to appear.  My right side.

The corners of the center block will have hearts.

Here is the left side.  I need to stitch the curvy lines up the red border and then the piano keys on the side.  Then another roll.

I am really enjoying my hand quilting.  

I will be linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  May your day be safe and filled with threads.

 

A Finish and a Roll

Our lunch day was delayed by a week, so my friend and I did not get together until yesterday.  She was very pleased to receive this pillow, pin cushion or whatever it may be.  

As you can see, I used a check material for the back, stuffed it with lizard litter (crushed walnut shells) and am pleased with how it finished.  

The other night I was going into my cave to close the window when I saw this.  They are not to be there.  I don't know why this is so comfortable (yes, I do).  When I am in there working, they are with me.  It is a nice space.  I just wish they'd sleep on the plant stand like usual.

I did my third roll of the quilt on the frame.  It took me 19 hours to get across this last time.  This section will be quicker as I will be finishing up the chain blocks and some stitch-in-the-ditch across the top of the applique blocks.  Then I will roll again.  Do you see one of my supervisors in the picture below? 

(Look to the right, just below the quilt.  The tip of Gibbs' tail is showing.  He is sitting on the floor.)

Have a wonderful week.  Enjoy your threads.  My slow stitching today will be working on the quilt.  I will be linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Slow Sunday

Good morning.  My Slow Stitching for today will be finishing this piece.  I saw it on Canadian Needle Nana's Blog and am making it for a friend.  I will turn it into a small pillow and give it to her on Wednesday when we meet for lunch.  It is a free pattern found at the Fat Quarter Shop.

I haven't figured out what the purple and green things are on the 'n' and 'd'.  Pins?

 May your day be a nice one.  Stay cool, stay safe and enjoy your threads.  

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

Update

Between family and friends visiting and HOT, HUMID weather, I haven't had much time or energy for hand quilting.  I know our hot weather was not as bad as Texas, the Mid-West or elsewhere, but it was hot for us.  I was working in the gardens during the heat at 0900 and was surprised to have sweat drip down my face.  

I walked into the Cave the other day and found Gibbs under Big Red's cover.  (Not to worry.  Since the first time I found him under there, the machine is no longer plugged in unless I am using it.)  I don't know how that is cooler, but he thinks that it is.

We don't have A/C unless we put the unit in the window.  We haven't done that yet.  Thankfully the weather broke the other night.  It was a storm that had the cats hiding under our bed until it was over.

This morning I saw something run by our front windows.  From the side windows I saw that it was three young deer.  They stopped and grazed in our back yard.  They were young enough that they paused to play.

Now, to threads.  I have finally finished the second row on my 3030 quilt.  It took me 22 hours to go side to side.  A Celtic knot is being stitched in the corner squares.  

Diagonal rows where I have the chain blocks.  The rows will continue on to the attached chain block.

All other pieced blocks will have four intertwined hearts.  Don't know if you can see that.  These blocks will also have stitch in the ditch outlining them.

Here is the quilt before rolling it for the second time.  Piano keys will remain on the outside edge.  You can see that I do have some applique blocks.  I am thinking that I will hand quilt around and maybe inside the applique.

The quilt after my second roll.  I can see the edge of the middle block.  I find that exciting.  

May you all stay safe in this summer weather.