32 vs 36

My America 250 by Plum Street Samplers is being stitched on 32-count linen.  I have been pleased with the stitch coverage of 1 over 2 until the letters began.  It had been put away for a week or so while I decided if the letters are to faint/thin or not.  Below are the letters above my sheep pin keep for size.

A squirrel came my way last week and arrived at my house yesterday.  Plum Street Samplers: Strength and Laughter.  This is being stitched on 36-count linen.  The sheep pin keep was placed on it for size evaluation.

I think I will be happy continuing on the 32-count linen for America 250.  It had been in my mind to start over on the 36-count.   

The hand quilting has continued on my runner.  It took me a bit to think of what to do in the background.

Just a little closer.

This is all that is left to do on the background and then the sides will be begin. A plan has already been thought of for that.

My slow stitching is set for the weekend.  May you enjoy your threads.  So hard to believe football season will be starting soon.  

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts. 

Two

Am working on the next block for Laurel Ridge, a Cat's Cradle.  Here is how I set up the blocks for stitching.  This way I chain stitch four at a time.  Hopefully correctly.

   

My fingers were trying to tell me something as the block was passing under them as the machine ran it under the machine foot and needle.  I did not pay attention as I pressed, put the second piece in place and stitched.  Only as I went to press the second seam did I notice my error.  It was fixed and there are now 16 Cat's Cradle blocks made.  16 more to make tomorrow and this block section will be done.  (Need to take a picture of the complete block.)

Here is the squirrel from last week.  Two blocks were stitched last year from Primrose Cottage: Stitching Quilt and Stitching Quaker.  They were both to be finished as pincushions or small pillows.  I really did not want to do that with them and kept mulling about in my mind what to do.  This is what was done:  Tablerunner.

Two jelly rolls were chosen and with the input of other people this set was picked.  Hollyhocks & Roses by Bunny Hill Designs.  The colors are gorgeous but not where I usually find my inspiration.

A log cabin block of a 3/4-inch finished log was placed around each cross-stitch square.  The center block was left empty.  (You can put something on top of that square and not hid the center of the block.)

I didn't turn this picture.  Look at the tomato.  But I did place it proper in the runner.

I forgot to sign one of the blocks.  All my embroidery has my first name and the year it was finished.  My name and year will be stitched on this block below and then I can make a sandwich and begin quilting.  I am thinking of stitch in the ditch for every log.  Then some hand quilting near some of the countwork to just hold it a bit.  Any other ideas?

My slow stitching today will be my name and the year.  Sadly, football is almost over.  But celebration!!  My Patriots are in the Super Bowl.  Whatever the outcome, they have done wonderfully this year.

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

 

Tete a tete

Daffodils they are.  Five inches tall.

January 2024 a friend gave me a small pot with tete a tete daffodils in it.  They were beautiful in a cold, snowy winter.  I kept them alive after the flowers were finished and planted them in a bed with larger daffodils.  I wasn't sure if they would come back but it was worth a try.  When I drove down the driveway this week, I saw this little spot of yellow.  They came back!!  

Spring has arrived in the Berkshires!!    

Season and Time by Moira Blackburn had not been stitched on since December 2024.  Since I can see small stuff again she was worked on.  This section was stitched to the point that it needed to be moved.

Moved it was and that tree has sections that I have unstitched twice.  Miscounted.  It is waiting for me as I type to remove another section.  More miscounting.  That is how my day will begin, and I really hope not how it ends.

Enjoy your threads.  After I have frogged again, I will enjoy mine.  ;)

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.
 

Seven

Back in 1992 I made Christmas stockings for our three girls.  (That was written about in an earlier post.)  The pattern is by Janlynn, counted cross stitch.  Each girl had a different Santa: European, Traditional and Old-World.

When the older girls moved out, they took their Christmas boxes with them to set up their own homes.  In 2013 stockings were stitched for my husband and me.  That way one stocking would not be alone.  The Santas that stitched were the ones made for the big girls.  There were still three different ones hanging.  I have the Old-World Santa, and he has the Traditional Santa.

  

Then in 2020 our youngest was married.  SIL received his Traditional Santa Christmas stocking that year.  

Youngest gave us our first grandchild in 2023 and a First Christmas stocking was made.  That will now be a Christmas tree decoration.  A big Christmas stocking needed to be stitched.  Since there are three of them in their family that means, to me, there needs to be three different stockings.  Grandbaby now has the Old-World Santa stocking.  

Here are three Old-World Santa stockings.  

I have stitched three Old-World Santas, three Traditional Santas but only one European Santa Stocking.  Our family groupings come in three.  Hmmm.

Enjoy your threads today.  Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays with those that you love.  Sending you blessings for a wonderful day.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Not much

Big computer has come home.  Laptop that I did my last entry on became jealous and has now gone to the computer man.  Don't know what I did, but I could not get online.  The laptop is a family hand me down that I only play Mahjong, Solitaire and look at Blogs on.  Who knows what I did when I made it work harder.

Friends were visiting last weekend; we have been to Boston this week.  My five-year evaluation and all is good.  Now I won't go back for a year.  

Looking around my cave to show what I have done over the last two weeks and I don't see much.  The Black Cat runners are finished and two have been given away.  Here is mine on the sideboard.

Two were made at 60-inches long and one at 45-inches.  I kept one of the 60-inch runners.  Next time I make this runner I will stay at the 45-inch.  60-inch on our table going from North to South, too long for me.

Here is a close up of the curvy piano keys from the cat side.  When we were in Boston for the overnight, (I had 0730 and 0830 appointments) I did the facing stitching on the last runner.  I am liking making facing for these, you don't lose the edge pattern.

The other slow stitching that I am doing is a new Christmas stocking for the Grandbaby.  I have three different Santa stockings that I made years ago for the girls.  There are now repeats as family members come in.  Gold thread will be stitched on Santa's ribbons but that will be the last stitching before I begin the outline stitching.

Enjoy your threads today.  Santa will be stitched on during football.  

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  

 

Hello

Well, I was not here (the blog) for the beginning of February, and it is half over!  I have been working with my threads but have not kept a good record of what I have done.  Here is what I remember.

A Bountiful Life (Civil War Bride) block #5 has been worked on again.  This is being done as needle turn applique and it is fussy.  That is why it was sitting in its box.  There are branches under leaves, leaves over the eagles but under the branches.  It was just too fussy for me, but I have a goal and it will get done.

Another applique was started, and this one is not being done as needle turn.  This is the center of a snowflake design.  There are three snowflakes on this table runner from Piecing the Past Quilts.  Each individual shape is made and then stitched onto the fabric.  Enjoying stitching both, not sure which technique I prefer.

A new cross stitch from Moira Blackburn was also begun, Season and Time.  This 52x33cm, about 21x13 inches.  I don't have bars long enough to hold it as a horizontal shape, so I am working it sideways.  Interesting way to read the pattern.  May that have made sense.  

I am at a bit lost with no football to stitch with.  Will have to work on a new, soon to be spring, routine.  Today is grey, windy and 26 degrees out.  

May you all enjoy your threads.  Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

Finish, Dirty Dozen

Jo at Jo's Country Junction has a stitch-a-long happening.  It is the Quaker Wisdom Berries by Erica Michaels.  My three are stitched and even finished!  These are the first berries that I have made.  A video by Vonna Pheiffer showed me how to finish them.  She is a wonderful finisher.  I see what I could have done better but I am very happy.

You can't see all the animals.  A bee for selflessness; a dog for loyalty; a dove for simplicity and peace; and a lamb for humility.

Mary Etherington at Country Threads Chicken Scratch hosts the Dirty Dozen.  July and August were dedicated to getting the centers of my sheep blankets put together.  It was going to be finished in July but it became too hot to work with wool.  The centers are now put together and I now will evaluate the borders.  I thought I had knit them all, but no.  I need to see what I have and what needs to be done.  This will continue to be worked on to get them finished.

For September the number is 4.  On my list that is the Civil War Bride and finishing an Advent Calendar.  I have the calendar out and now need to look at where I am on the Civil War Bride.  My plan of action will be set soon.     

Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  I do have some slow stitching that I am working on.  Hope to show you next week.  Enjoy your threads.    
 

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.
 

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.

No, No, NO!!!

I have not been in my Cave much this week.  We have had to much going on.  That means not much stitching was done on the frame (only 5 hours).  It was so hard to go by and not be able to sit and be calm.  Someone, Ziva, took the opportunity to claim the frame as her own!  So that is what they meant when I read that the tension of a frame is to be if a cat was on it.  That part was helpful.  It is harder for her to get up on it now. 

But, when you do have friends over or are awake in the middle of the night, you can get count work done.  

The first two were finished before the week began.  I don't think that I have showed them before.  

First is the Red Bird Sampler by Heart in Hand.  This was a stitch along with Jo's Country Junction.  This will be a pincushion or small pillow.

Next is the second pattern from Blessings Abound by Waxing Moon Designs.  This one I will frame.

This is what was worked on while friends were here. Chessie's Alphabet Needlebook by Chessie and Me.  Those little cats were done with a tent stitch (1/2 cross) over 1 linen thread with one thread.  First time I ever did that stitch and so glad I had reading glasses with high enough magnification.

May you all enjoy your day.  I need to work in the front yard before I can get back to my threads.  Family will be coming mid week so I really need to get a hustle on.  I miss thread meditation time.

Linking to Slow Stitching Sunday with Kathy's Quilts.

 

Beginning & Squirrel

This is my new beginning!

In 2020 I made the 3030 Quilt BOW with Gae Bomers of Sentimental Stitches.  I began piecing it when it started in June and finished the blocks December 29, 2020.  It was put together in January 2021 and has been waiting since. I wanted to hand quilt it.  Untrimmed it is 80 X 80 inches.  

I now have my hand quilting frame from Miller's Quilting.  This is the second piece that I have placed on it and my first quilt to be done on the frame (I did a table runner to see how it worked).  I have only hand quilted twice before and not on a frame.  They were not even done in a hoop, that I can remember. That is how long ago it was that I hand quilted.  One was my first quilt when I took a class in the 1980s.  The other was a baby quilt that I made for our youngest.  She is now 31.

My first row of stitches!  Begun June 24, 2022.  

This is what I saw this morning when I walked into my cave at 0600.  The sun was coming in.  It lights up my rows very nicely, but I am going to have to cover it with a sheet to keep the sun off when I am not working on it.  Don't want it to fade it this early in its life.

When I am sitting here, I listen to audio stories.  Youngest has introduced me to a Podcast: Phoebe Reads a Mystery.  Phoebe reads books from long ago.  Right now, I am listening to Moby Dick: The Whale.  It was written by Herman Melville in 1851 at his farm, Arrowhead, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.  He lived there from 1850 to 1863.  His home is now a museum.  

Our kids all read the book in 6th grade and went to Arrowhead as a school trip.  I was born and grew up in Pittsfield.  Still live in the Berkshires and am ashamed to say that I never read this book.  (If I did, I don't remember it.)  I am enjoying having it read to me.

Hand quilting and listening to a book.  Thread meditation at its finest.

  

Now here is my squirrel.  My count work friend let me know about this.  This is a kit from Shepard's Bush, and you count stitch the pattern with #5 Perl Cotton on a project bag made of nylon.  I began this on Friday at 0400 (I couldn't sleep) and finished it Saturday afternoon.  A very quick stitch.  7 stitches to the inch.

The kit also comes with material for a pincushion and scissor fob.  They are done on 32 count linen with one thread.  My work on the pincushion last evening.  

The scissor fob will be made, and I will use it.  When stitching the bag, I dropped two pair of scissors and didn't want to stop, get up and look for them.  It is a good thing that I had several pairs close.  This fob will be helpful.

Enjoy your day.  Ours is starting out sunny and warm, 57.  It is to go up to the high 70s today.  I know many of you have had super warm, hot weather but that has not been us.  This week is the first that it has been above the 50-60s since May.  My tomatoes are starting to grow.  Like everything around here, they were in a holding pattern and waiting.  My day will begin with work in the garden.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.