Sew Along II

Today just flew by, but I have eleven blocks made.

What will tomorrow bring?  

God Bless.

There's a Sew Along Going On

I lost my mind and decided this morning to join in the Sew Along hosted by Denise Russart of Just Quiltin. I have this sweet fabric collection of owls and trees and think it's perfect for the design that Denise is giving us to use.  It shows off fabric beautifully.

If you are looking for something to do for the next few days, join in.  It is a really cute quilt design.

This is my sweater progress.

Doesn't look like a sweater, does it.  The left front is done and now I'm working on the back.  I didn't realize how much I like the relaxing rhythm of knitting.  

I'll be posting my block progress, so see you later.

The Scarf is Done

Just a quick post to share the finished scarf, per my earlier post.

I used yarn for the fringe; much easier.  

Big sigh of relief here:)

God Bless.

Oy, This Endless Scarf

I've been working on the August block, the scarf, for the A Knitter's Gifts QAL designed by Denise Russart of Just Quiltin.  How many hours to accomplish this much?  So far I would say 6 or 7.  Admittedly, I did some ripping out of seams and finally got into the rhythm of paper piecing, but still it took a long time.  And I still need to add the fringe and applique it to the background. 

 

I'm making slow progress on my sweater as well, but I find that's how knitting and crochet are like.  You seem to be stitching and stitching and then suddenly you see it coming together.

 Enjoy your weekend.  

God Bless You!

Knitting and Stitching

I am knitting a sweater, but I'm not sure if I am going to be part of the Very Shannon KAL.  I'm a bit intimidated by the projects I'm seeing there.  I don't enjoy knitting a complicated pattern and haven't made a sweater since the '80's so I chose a very simple project of a design I like that I know I will wear.  I love cardigans so I'm making the Sawtelle sweater from the Berocco site. 

You may have read in this blog the comment that in my family we don't throw anything away.  As an insight into how that works the yarn I am using for this project was purchased at least 30 years ago.  That's right, in the 80's most likely, by either my Mom or myself.  The beige is Patons' Princess, no longer made, and the green is a wool from a store no longer open.  Unused yarn just waiting to be unwrapped.  I was happy I had some nice yarn I could use without having to make a purchase.  Are you laughing or shaking your head?  Both?  Believe me, the term "stash" in some variation is very familiar.

 I also began to stitch another house, so when I need to get away from the knitting I am picking up the stitching.  It's the April house, thus the bunny.

Enjoy your weekend projects.

God Bless!

Utensils and Candy - QAL Blocks, That is.

 Sew Kitschy August Block.  Only one more to go.

Quilt Doodle Doodle 2014 BOM August Block.  It is row of wrapped candy.

 Portulacas.  I love these small flowers.  These have been coming back each year from some that I planted 3 or 4 years ago.  I'm surprised at that because of our severe winters, but glad they survive. There's a bee in one of the flowers.

 

A few years ago I received a packet of wild flower seeds.  It was a year or two before I finally just opened the packet and threw the seeds in a small portion of garden.  Every year now I have these wild poppies and the small white flowers, name I don't know.  They keep blooming until frost.

God Bless You.

Have a wonderful weedend.

August Blocks and Beautiful Fabric and Things

I have one more house stitched, the May house.

I've been working on quilting the Stash Buster quilt top that was finished in January and taking up space.  It seems to be taking forever to quilt it, but it is a larger size quilt so progress is slow.  However, I have caught up with one of my Christmas qal's, the From Head to Toe - A Knitter's Gifts block for July which was very easy. 

Next I will be working on the Quilt Doodle Doodle 2014 BOM and the August Sew Kitschy block.

I want to give shout outs to vendors from whom I recently won some nice things.  Windham Fabrics sent me this gorgeous fabric kit and pattern.

I didn't realize I had won all of the fabric, from the Holiday Magic collection by Whistler Studios, needed to make the quilt called All Wrapped Up, but I have and I will be making another beautiful Christmas quilt.  It's Christmas almost every day at my house, at least when I am sewing. 

Thank you to Windham Fabrics.

I am a vegetarian and follow food sites that make some of the foods that I like to eat, so when Hodgson Mill recently had a giveaway for a new product I entered. And won.  I thought I was just getting the Flax Chia blend, but they sent me a reusable bag and measuring spoon as well.  

Such a nice package.

 This is good in yogurt and smoothies, in case you are into them.  

Thank you to Hodgson Mill.

I am very late in thanking Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict for this beautiful fabric which was one of the prizes in her recent Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge.  Her sponsor, Fabricworm, donated this collection of Sea Breeze from Wilmington Fabrics.  Hope you can tell from the picture how cute it is.

Those of you who are knitters or crocheters may be interested in a Knit Along taking place at Very Shannon.  Your project needs to be a sweater and does not need to completed by the end of the KAL in September.  I really want to join in and have my yarn and pattern all picked out, but I don't know if I dare begin another project.  But the more I take on the more I complete, so I may just jump in.   

Have a wonderful time with your projects.

God Bless You!

Nativity Quilt Finish and the June House

A little over a year ago I began this Nativity Quilt as you can see here.  I ran into problems quilting it with metallic thread.  Fortunately, I got a  link and advice from Sharon of Vroomans' Quilts, and eventually I used Sewer's Aid, a thread stand, and I also got some Magic Bobbin Genies. All of these combined were the ticket and today I finished the quilting, got the binding on and sewed on a hanger.

Love this finish. 

I stitched the June House.  I can't sew a straight line but love those birds and charming houses.  

God Bless!

Geese and Houses

When I was making the Swoon blocks following Camille Roskelley's instructions during her Craftsy class, Pre-Cut Piecing, I ended up with a pile of matched triangles.  I put them aside with the intention of using them for something.  It's been very relaxing to sew these HST's together and then to match them up to make flying geese.  I'm up to 50 geese. 

 True confessions; I love flying geese quilts.  I love traditional quilts and love this block.  But I have never made a flying geese quilt, and that's understandable since I'm relatively new to quilting.  I have made quilts that used FG's.  What am I going to do with these FG's ?  Don't know.

However, I have a thought about using them to make a runner.  Whatever I make, I love my geese and am being very careful about their points.  

The other project I'm working on are these sweet houses.

A blogging friend, Lesley of  The Cuddle Quilter, passed on this pattern to me, called A Cottage Year,  and I am trying my best to do justice to this beautiful design.

I have two houses stitched, the July and August houses.  My running stitch is not the best but it does get better as I go along.  

That's it.  Hope you are enjoying your crafting time.

God Bless You

Classical, Oldies, Jazz, Folk or Quiet?

 The radio is the July block for the Sew Kitschy quilt from Quiet Play.  The older I get the more I like the quiet but I confess to playing it at high volume in my younger days.  

The Autograph Star block is the 23rd block in the Ben Franklin QAL at Eric Homemade ezine.  This Darlene Zimmerman fabric looks perfect for this time of year; very picnic-like.

  That puts me up to date for my qal's so far, but the Knitter's Gifts block should be coming out this weekend.


Edit:  Go here for a sweet free pattern from Jacquelynne  Steves.

Have a great day.

God Bless.

What's in the Mug?

The steam coming from the mugs in the Quilt Doodle Doodle July BOM 2014 looks like a question mark, doesn't it? That's because mine are backwards ha ha ha.  The harder I try the worser I get.

So, what's in your mug?  I would like hot spiced cider or hot chocolate or cocoa for a treat.  The fabric has candy canes which I thought could be appropriate for a hot wintry beverage.

Just three more blocks for this project.  I love the way it's coming together.  

FYI:  If you are looking for a Christmas quilt project, you might look into the Quilter's Newsletter First Snow quilt.  It is paper piecing and is one of those projects where the blocks are available for only one week, but right now the first three PDF's can be downloaded.  I'm going to make it because it is very sweet and will be fun to put together.  Join in, why don't you?  

Enjoy your week.

God Bless.  

Have Tea With Me?

 I completed one of my projects, prompted in part by Craftsy's blog post yesterday citing World UFO  Day and how it could apply to quilters.  If you're a quilter, you know why.  If you're not a quilter, it's because UFO for us is an unfinished object.    

I am a tea lover, but most often make it per mug in the microwave.  However, I sometimes enjoy the graciousness of a semi-formal tea setting, i.e. I use a teapot and cups and saucers.  Now I have a sweet tea cozy and coasters to match.

One of Mom's buttons to dress it up a bit.

This design is from the July/August McCall's Quilting by Sandra Hatch.

I wanted to have flowers in a vase in my shot but Hurricane Arthur is pouring away outside so no flowers today.  

Happy July 4th.

Let Freedom Ring

and 

God Bless America.

Scrap-Happy

I wanted to take part in the Let's Book It! at Vroomans Quilts this month because I have two projects that I just found in new magazines and thought I could make either one very quickly.  See below to see why that didn't happen.  I love this

from here

and this 

from here

and I will begin one of them soon.  I'm thinking of making the teapot image into placemats.

So what's my excuse for not getting anything done?   A combination of working more hours and being felled by a bad allergy head cold has kept me away from my sewing machine.  Plus, the project I've been working on is not something you would find very interesting.  I've been organizing my scraps by cutting them up and putting them into groups.  When I began I thought  it would take only a day or two, maybe a few days, to get this accomplished.  Forget it.  It's been a few weeks and I'm still at it.  Granted, between being sick or working has interfered, but still!  Yes, you might say, just throw them out.  Ha ha, that's funny.

2"

3"

1"

4" and 5"

Waiting to be ironed

I still have more to sort.  I have a log cabin quilt I want to make so this will be helpful, or I may just make some string blocks when I want to do some mindless sewing.

No more time to chat.  I have a pile of scraps to sort.

God Bless You.