Squirrel, Mats

Kathy, my cousin, is one of the Tuna Quilters.  She read my post from last week and sent me a picture of her mug mat that I had made.  Two mats were made to try out the postage stamp background as postage stamp quilts are now fascinating me.  They still fascinate me and keep churning in my mind.

Another squirrel came to visit last week.  But it didn't stay long.  A package from Shabby Fabrics was delivered to our mailbox Wednesday night and I didn't know that it had arrived until the next morning.  This is from their Tea & Cookies for Two mat series.  If I see something and I like the material, I will order the kit.  I picked up the mail at 10am and the mats were almost finished by 3pm.

Friday, we had a visit to Boston, so no stitching of any type was done.  Yesterday I finished the binding and then buttonhole stitched around the inside border.  Some in the ditch stitching needs to be done.  These are tea and cookie mats as they are 9.5 X 15.5 inches.  The placemats I use are 12 X 17 inches.  I do like a larger place mat.

Two football games today.  I need to figure out what I will be doing for slow stitching.  Enjoy your threads today.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

 

Squirrel and Frog

On January 3, 2024, Jo at Jo's Country Junction announced that she is starting a Stitch Along.  It is Kind Words Never Die from Heartstring Samplery.  This is a small that I really like.  So, I have joined in.  The Stitch Along begins on 1 February but I started mine on Friday.  That is the Squirrel.

The Frog.

As I said, this is a small.  Stitch Count: 74 x 73.  On Friday evening the words and five flowers were stitched.  Yesterday afternoon I stitched two more flowers and found out I was off one stitch, and it wasn't going to match up.  I had to look over the entire pattern to find out where I was off.  See the circle to the left.  The flower was one stitch to high.

So, the Frog went into action.  Thank goodness for football.

It has been restarted properly and I will keep better track of my stitches (she says as her fingers are crossed).

This was a more productive week.  I made two mug mats using a postage stamp background with a snowflake applique.  I gave them to my Tuna Quilter friends and forgot to take a picture.  Still thinking of that quilt.

My socks have been finished and have survived a wash.

 

My Slow Stitching today will be finishing my small and then I have another stitch waiting to begin.  The sun is out, a bit windy, and we are starting our day at 3 degrees.  I know other parts of the USA have it worse.  Please all be warm, safe and enjoy your threads.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Postage Stamps, Finish

Mary Etherington at Country Threads Chicken Scratch has been showing gorgeous postage stamp quilts.  Kari Schell at On Point Quilter Blog has an entry on the making of snowflake mug rugs.  The mug rug background was the postage stamp.  Postage stamps have been fascinating me since.  I decided to try it out with two mug rugs.  Yesterday I cut my strips, sewed them together, cut them apart and sewed them together again.  Here is my start.  The snowflakes will be made today, fused on, batting and backing.  A bit of machine stitching and they will be done.  

The idea of a postage stamp quilt fascinates me still.  Thinking, thinking.

This table topper from Shabby Fabrics was made last year.  The hearts were only fused on, and it needed to be finished.  So, I decided to machine buttonhole stitch around each heart.  My machine was making skipped stitches, and I didn't like it.  It was taken out and while watching the first football game of the day, I did the buttonhole stitch by hand.  

Haven't decided if I like it but it is done and done is always better.  I need to keep remembering that.  And, to remember, as my Tuna Quilter friends and I say, it is not going to Houston (as in the International Quilt Festival).

When the six hearts were done, I still had time on my hands.  I have been knitting myself a pair of socks (traveling project).  I am a toe up knitter for socks.  Back in 2020 I found an article from 1999 about the Sherman Sock.  The toe is started flat and then it turns into the toe cap.  I have it printed out and guard my copy very carefully.  Then I knit as a tube and put it waste yarn for my peasant, or depression, heel.

I knit both socks at the same time.  Here is the other one with the heel made.  

The heel was made before the leg was finished as I want to use up all this yarn and wasn't sure how far to go to not run of yarn for the heel.  The other end of the yarn ball was my start for the heel.

Knitting time was over and the second heel will be the first thing I do with football today.  

Enjoy your threads today and stay safe.  

We have been rainy, dark and gloomy but not the blizzards found out west (would like to have some snow) or the waves that were hitting the coast of Maine causing flooding and taking out buildings.  

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

2024

Good morning.  We were in Maine for Christmas with two of our girls and their families.  We met our first grandchild, and she is wonderful.  (Aren't they all.)  We are all so blessed.

The edge of the Nor'easter has given us only one inch of snow.  It is snowing more now than it did all night.  They promised us 6-12 inches but, so far, not there. This will be our second measurable snowfall of this winter.  As I may have said before, the snow is the water for our well.  I love the stuff.

Hand quilting has begun again.  Don't know why I leave it for longish periods of time, but I do.  So close to the end, and I had a summer, fall pause.    

156 hours of quilting time has been done to this point.  A written record is kept on when and how much time.  (I also write notes of something I heard on a podcast.  That is an Author's name and book written on the lower left.)

My sewing machine hasn't been running since we came back from the holiday in Maine.  But I am hand stitching.  Here is a new small, Give Thanks Always by Tina Richards Herman at Shepard's Bush.  It is made to be a pincushion, but I really have enough.  Wanting to turn this into a small, framed stitch.  Thinking of doing it myself.  Shall have to watch floss tube and see how others complete their smalls.

This is also to be a pincushion, but I want to frame it.  Or turn it into some other type of small.  

The scissor fobs will become fobs.  I never knew how useful they were until I made my first.  Now I can find my scissors easier when I am stitching in my chair.  Doesn't mean one doesn't hide on me and I have to use a second pair.  But they are easier to find when I stand up.

May you all stay safe and warm wherever you are.  Enjoy your threads.  Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.