Maine

We have just returned from a trip to Maine to visit my sister and two of our daughters.  I did bring three things to work on while we were there.

This is count work from Blessings Abound by Waxing Moon Designs.  This is Count Thy Blessings, and I am not sure if it will be an embroidery framed and, on the wall, or incorporated into something else.  It was not stitched on in Maine. 

This also came to Maine.  Block 9; Lucky Strawberries from A Bountiful Life (The Civil War Bride quilt).  It is all wrinkled as I just took it out of its bag.  It was not stitched on in Maine.

Here is what I worked on during the car ride.  Two dishcloths were completed, and this is the third a little over half done.

What did I work, on other than visiting and a trip to Beans?  Our youngest's gardens.  

First, around the big rock where herbs and such are planted.  

Second, I brought her some peonies from our garden, which came from my parents' garden, which came from Grams' garden (my Dads' Mom) and Grannies' garden on the farm (my Moms' Mom).  Family lore has it that one of the three colors; white, pink or red (I think the red) came from Ireland.  These were planted by her stone wall.  (I only had one tick visit me!!)  This is their third summer in their home.  The house was built in the late 1790s and they have done ALOT of work on the yard.  The electric company came by last year and took down very old and not safe trees that were under the electric line.  It has opened the yard to sunshine, wonderful.  The peonies were planted on the road side of the rock wall and lilacs will be planted on the yard side of the wall.  The wall is about 10 feet from the road.  Slowly it will expand up and down the wall.  More peonies will be brought up next year or late this year.

This morning, at my home, it is 52 degrees outside and the mist is burning off.  I need to get to my gardens.  Later today I will do slow stitching.  I am so looking forward to that.

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

 

Advice Requested

My pumpkin table runner is now off the hand quilting frame.  I put it on May first, and it came off on May 12th with about 13 hours of hand quilting time.  I am super pleased and totally enjoyed my experience. 

But I have many questions.  I don't know anyone who hand quilts or works with a 3-roller frame.  I have watched Esther Miller's videos on setting up the frame and her hand quilting directions.  All wonderful information but everything has to come to an end.  That is where my questions come in.

When I arrived at the end, instead of rolling the quilt forward, I just switched and moved to the back of the frame.  When you look at the photos below, the back of the frame is at the bottom of the photo.

The first photo shows how I have basted through the beginning of the runner, then the batting to the leader on the back roller.  So, if I stitched straight through, I would be sewing into the leader fabric.  

Here is my solution.  Did I do it proper or is there a better way?

I took out the basting stitches and put the back roller leader out of the way.  Then the beginning of the runner was pinned to the batting and backing.  You can see that the backing is rolled up on its own leader and roller.  (Two rollers in the back leading to one roller in the front.)  Then I finished quilting the last of the border and took it off the frame.

Is that the way to finish?  

Finished it is.

Here you see the runner: machine pieced, hand appliqued for the vines, machine appliqued for the stem, hand quilted. border put on by machine and then hand stitched.  

I sure used several techniques to make this.  Wonderful.

I have another pumpkin runner as a flimsy.  That one will be sandwiched soon and machine quilt.  

My 3030 quilt is getting ready to go up on the frame.  It should happen this week.  Ideas on how to quilt it are dancing in my head.

I will be linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Enjoy your weekend.

Squirrel Update

The strawberry pincushion is done.  It is about 3.5 inches across.  It was first lined with a Pellon Fusible Interfacing. 

Then a long-legged cross stitch was used to join the sides.  It was a bit fiddly and a times I lost where I was.  But I am glad that I did it. When a 1/2-inch opening was left, the lizard litter (crushed almond shells, oops, it is crushed walnut shells) was poured in via a funnel.  It was then closed up and I am pleased.

The window was made and now the boots and leaves need to be attached.  There are also parts to make forsythia that will need to be put on.  But, part by part I will work.  Can't get too much in front of my eyes.

After about ten hours of stitching, I am at the end of the runner.  I am actually a bit faster than when I began, at least in two directions.  This has been an enjoyable learning experience.  When this comes off, which may be tomorrow, I will be putting on my first quilt.  

On the runner are three of the tools I use.  From left to right: a ceramic needleslide that is used under the quilt, my thimble when stitching toward me and a thumbthimble when I stitch away from me.  That is a great invention.

I will be linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  May you all have a wonderful week.