A Quick Finish

My husband is beginning to take down the deck to have it ready to be replaced this fall.  He was trying out a new tool and took off two boards toward the back.  He had noticed wasps flying around the desk corner when he was grilling but figured ti was due to the plants near by.  Nope.  They had decided to set up housekeeping.  They have been evicted.   They were better off in the tree last year.   

Do you ever buy something and then wonder why you did, or is it just me.  I saw a kit for these mug mats long ago and bought two of them.  They are Quilt-as-you-go.  The pattern for the block was printed on the batting,  It has a panel of the sayings included.  You just sew the material in the proper place and then they are done.

One day during this shut down, I was looking for something quick to make and came across the kits.

So, I went to my box of leftover scraps, went to town sorting through the material and made them up.  I don't like the quilt-as-you-go method with having the backing as part of the process.  I just sewed the material onto the batting.  Then I used left over bigger pieces for the backing.  I brought it around to the front, turned it under neatly so I could use it for the binding.  Then I sewed down the binding with a blanket stitch using the sewing machine.  

The hearts were then machine quilted into the center of the blocks.

The mug mats are now done with the only hand stitching being burying the threads from the machine quilted hearts.  Nice easy project that was done rather quickly.

May you all be able to stay cool in this warm (HOT) weather.

Center Done!

15 July 2020, I finished the center of my Grandmother's Flower Garden.  It should have been done sooner but .......  Now it is done!  It measures 82 inches by 85 inches.  I laid it out on the bed to see what it looked like and I am so excited.  It goes from the top edge to the bottom  edge of the mattress.  It over hangs each side by two flowers.  You can see one side in the picture below.

The closer picture shows the various colors used.  They were placed in a set color pattern as I couldn't figure out how to make them scattered and look good.  It worked and I am so happy.

This is a hybrid quilt: the flower petals (colored and white) were sewn together by machine and all the centers (yellow and blue) were done by hand.  Then all the rows were done by hand.  Lots of slow stitching. 

I now have to decided on how I am going to do the border.  So far I have used solid colors with a bit of texture to it for the flowers.  I am thinking of using a light color that matches one of the flowers but in a 1930's small print.  But, do I attache white hexies to the flowers before I get to the borders or do I just start with the borders.  Decisions, decisions.  At least these are the fun ones to make.

Next week I am meeting with Kathy and Betty, my quilting buds, and will look for their input.  

May you all have a happy, healthy week.

Small Pieces

I am beginning my first ever Block of the Week Quilt.  The is the 3030 Quilt by Sentimental Stitches.  These are small blocks, 6 inches.  I haven't worked with many blocks this size and it is making my piecing improve.  

Block #1.  I made two as I was not pleased with the first.  The second one is better but I will still have to replace the left lower corner block.  I did not properly place the material so it is missing a bit of  the 1/4 inch seam.  I need all the material I can get.  The background is named Silver, a very light grey.

Linda Franz, a Canadian Quilter, has written two books on her Quilted Diamonds Quilts.  Using the CDs from her books, I am able to print the diamond pattern on freezer paper, cut it out, iron the pieces to the back side of the material, where it sticks very well.  Then I trace around the freezer paper on to the material with a pencil.  This marks my stitching line.  I then  use an Add-a-Quarter ruler and cut our my pieces.  Here they are in proper placement waiting for me to begin stitching.

I stitch them together by hand, a little puzzle to do while sitting in the evening.  The red diamond is the one on the board shown above.  My latest Diamond and the best so far.  I am getting better.  I also used starch on the material of this one before it was cut out and it was so much easier to piece.  I may be becoming a starch user for the little blocks.  These are 4 by 7, not counting the 1/4 inch seam.

May this find you all well and healthy.

9 June 2020

Our Annual Town Meeting was last week.  These are not usually exciting affairs.  I needed to bring something with me to keep me busy as I listened to people talk.  I didn't have anything in my traveling bag so I set my shuttles up with something easy.  I didn't want to have to concentrate to hard on the pattern.

We had about 80 registered voters attend out of 2000.  You can tell by the numbers that not much excitement was expected to happen.  The meeting lasted 3 1/2 hours!  Talk, talk, talk.  I am sure glad that I brought this along.  

A friend has asked me to teach her how to tat this fall.  She was watching me tat during the meeting.  We were all sitting greater than six feet from each other and couldn't socialize.

Have a grand day.

Poppies and Twins. Again

9 May 2020 we had snow.  These were my poppies at that time.  The snow only lasted until the afternoon.  Jump forward to today after having two weeks of cool sweatshirt, jacket weather.  

 

We are 86 F and sunny.  Such a fast change but that is how we have our spring in the Berkshires.  My poppies in the front of the house are all in bud and opening one or two at a time.  This is the largest amount of poppies that I have had in this garden.

I just love poppies.  I wish that I was able to get the big old fashion poppy that my mother used to have.  A friend gave me some poppy babies last year.  They are in the raised beds out back and have some buds.  Can't wait to see what type they are.

I was looking for something small to work on the other day.  (I need to finish one joining row of my Flower Garden.  Just haven't done it.)   I have had this kit from Connecting Threads for a bit.  A very easy piecing and enough material to make two runners.  So, I made the two and will give one away. 

I hand stitch the pumpkin vines.  The stalk is an iron on applique.  I will then machine buttonhole stitch around the stalk.  Then sandwich, machine quilt and bind.  Soon another completion.  

I am pleased to say that I just used the new Blogger format.  My last entry was started with this but I changed to the old format.  It made more sense this time.  Also, now have a new computer and am using Windows 10.  It was real easy to crop my photos.  But, I still need to figure out how to align them.  The first one is a bit off.

May you all have a wonderful day, wherever you are.

Traveling Socks

Good afternoon.  Today we woke up to 30F at 6am.  We are now up to 60F and it is sunny.  I am happy and my poppies are happy.  This is a picture of them from last Saturday when we had snow.  Thankfully it was not the 2 inches that they were talking about.  That snow lasted until the afternoon.  

My traveling socks have been finished.  Here is how I make my Depression Heel or Peasant Heel.  As I remove the waste yarn I pick up the stitches with my needles.  I like using five needles; four to hold the stitches and one as the working needle.

When I have done the decrease stitches for the heel, I place the stitches on two needles.  From these two needles I do the cast off or stitch off using the Kirchner stitch.  

After all the stitches are worked off and the ends woven in, I have a pair of Traveling Socks.  They began as a travel project and now they will walk with me where ever I go.

That was weird.  The only place that they will go is to the grocery store and back.  May this find you all happy, healthy and warm.

Travel Project: No longer

Until 16 March 2020 my Most Handsome and I were traveling to Boston about every two to three weeks for various appointments.  The 16th was the our last trip.  Like everyone else we have been told to stay home.  We listened.  Our excitement has been the trip to the grocery store. 

I have a project bag that is always ready to travel.  It keeps me busy while we are going up and down the Massachusetts Pike, about a 2 1/2 hour trip one way.  Well, with not traveling, I could not let these socks just sit in the bag.  I am almost finished with them.  I have the cuffs and heels to knit up.  

This was a sock yarn given to me by our youngest.  I knit both socks at the same time, so that when I am done, I am done.  

Here are the front and back of the socks.  

I begin with what is called a Sherman Toe.  (You are able to find the directions on the internet.)  I knit with five double point needles: four for the body of the sock and one working needle.  I keep track of the number of rows so that they end up the same size.

The picture above shows the front: fancy pattern all the way from just above toe to cuff, and back: knit pattern for the bottom of the foot and then the fancy pattern begins above the heel.

I make a Depression Heel (directions can be found on the internet).  If you look closely at the below picture, you will see a white or cream color row of waste yarn.  I will take that out as I pick up the stitches on my needle.  This becomes the stitches for the heel.  Then I knit and decrease stitches and a heel appears.  I then close it off with the Kitchener stitch and I am done.  I enjoy knitting socks and wearing them.  They are so comfortable.

Between the change in our schedule, the last six weeks being mostly grey, snow, rain and a very cold spring, I have been in inertia.   Some projects have been worked on, some completed.  

I have not wanted to do any blog entries.  Being as today is the last day of April, I needed to get at least one written.  

On the few sunny days that we have had, I was outside.  My raspberries are cleaned up, my eight raised garden beds are cleaned and ready.  I do have pansies but they are not yet in their pot as they still come into the garage at night.  Don't want the frost to get them, we have had some.  The perennials are coming up so there is hope that spring will get here, maybe in May.  

May this find you and yours healthy and comfortable.