Buried Treasure

It is a TREASURE and yes it was buried (in my sewing room!)!

 

It is my record of gifts given and received from long ago! As I flipped through, all these memories came flooding back to me. So many quilts, bags and table runners; so many Christmas decorations; and even a record from when I did a Secret Santa all year long  back in 2000. There were knitted toys and crocheted afghans, and so much more!

 

 

I remember I made the cover for the notebook so I could try stitching with metallic threads. Metallic threads were so much more finicky than they are today.  As I remember it did not work out well in the beginning.

 

 

 

I started keeping the record in 1998. It seems so long ago. I haven't added to the book in a few years. I started it at a time before digital cameras and I don't have many photos for what I have made and given from back then. I think in the new year I will dig through some of those old photos...

 

And maybe this would be a good year to start this tradition again!

 

And here is a quick project I've been working on while I have been visiting with my dad. A small granny square afghan to enjoy. I may even have it done by Christmas!

 

 

 

I LOVE the colors! These would make a spectacular quilt too!

 

 

And meet Sylvester...my new pet snake. I made a pair of them for my step son and his friend for Christmas and I was smitten. I knew I had to have one for me! They are fast knits with self striping sock yarn. The pattern is in Susan B. Anderson's book Itty-Bitty Toys. One snake took less than 2 evenings in front of the TV. He ties perfectly around my Ott-Lite  but until the pair are opened on Christmas morning he has to hide.

 

 

Now I am home all week and don't have a lot to do except take care of my Mr. who is recovering from shoulder surgery.

Christmas gifts are done and wrapped. The baking is almost done and the menu's for Christmas eve and day are almost figured out.

 

I think I'll enjoy some Christmas movies while quilting!

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Stitching!

 

 

 

The Theme is Getting it Done!

I confess that I have absolutely no idea where my motivation is coming from. I am getting things checked off my UFO list at lightning speed!

 

First I fixed my snow angel cross stitch or at least I improvised the fix!

With a leap of faith I took apart the frame. It really wasn't too bad.

 

 

 As it turns out I had missed 2 whole rows of the urn. I ended up stitching right over the green stem. I didn't take out that single green stitch because it would have meant taking out a lot of stitches.

 

 

It actually hid quite well under the gold.

 

 

And now she is ready to hang for Christmas!

 

 

Next I finished two pairs of woolly socks for my Dad for Christmas. I make him socks every year. He wears them every evening watching TV and wears them to bed to keep his feet warm. When I ask him what he wants for Christmas his first answer is always socks! It makes me so happy to know that I can make him something that he loves so much and that is such a part of his daily life!

 

 

The next finish is this adorable knitted and felted cat. I had bought this Mary Mayhew pattern and the wool when I was in New Hampshire this past spring visiting relatives.

 

I have named him Felix. My husband thinks I should make an orange cat as a companion!

 

 

 

My little machine applique quilt is all ready for quilting! I am not quite sure how I want to quilt it yet so this may wait until the new year to finish.

 

 

I really enjoy the sweet birds and I am enjoying the neutrals as well.

 

 

And finally not quite finished but some progress has been made on these felt Santa ornaments.

The more I stitch the cuter they get!

 

 

This one is ready to embellish!

 

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

 

 

 

Motivation!

I LOVE it when motivation strikes! I have thought of updating my blog often the last couple weeks but I have been so busy and happy accomplishing things I haven't gotten around to it. So here are a few things I've been doing...

 

 

It all started with spray basting quilts for the first time! I got five quilts basted. (The one above I am going to quilt next - I am hoping to get it hung in my sewing room for the winter) I still have two from my pile left to baste but I have to piece a backing first. These 5 will keep me busy for a while though. I'll give some thoughts on spray basting in an upcoming post and after these 5 are quilted, bound and washed.

 

 

Above are two of the smallest ones, machine quilted and ready to sew the binding...

and here they are all done and washed.

The pinwheels are already living on the bottom shelf of my coffee table.

 

 

The Bear Paw (love, love , love it!) is hanging in my sewing room.

 

 

I also added some decorative stitching to some of the raw edge machine appliqued blocks.

 

 

And here they are trimmed and ready to sew with the sashing. Finished the blocks are just 5" square and now that I see them altogether I am liking them more.

They still seem flat to me but quilting will help.

 

 

I also sewed a lot of bias stems for the borders of my hand applique quilt. It seems as if it has been a long time since I touched it so I am looking forward to getting back at it.

 

 

 

This little knitted creature will be a cat as soon as it dries. I just finished felting it and stuffing it so now it s drying before adding the finishing touches.

 

 

Finally my thoughts have turned to Christmas. Yes I have been making a few gifts though not as many as I usually do. This cross stitch has been done for a few years. The first year I hung it and part way through the season I realized that the urn on the right had no handles and it was supposed to! Arrrrr!

 

 

So my thought at that time was that is ok...part of its charm...I haven't hung it since because it BOTHERS me to no end. In a mad cleaning session last week I found it tucked away and I knew it had to be taken apart and fixed.

 

 

Wish me luck...it was professionally framed so hopefully I get it all back together looking as good as it does now. 

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

 

 

Machine Applique and Santa Hat Love!

It as taken a while but I am finally ready to try some new machine applique techniques. I have dabbled in machine applique every once in a while but never enough to really know if there is that one technique that works better for me than others.

 

 So I decided to make 3 little quilts.

This first one has little 5" blocks and is all fused. Here are all the blocks fused and ready for stitching. I am loving the neutrals on the blue!  

 

 

The edges are all buttonhole stitched down. I still have lots to do and some embellishing as well but I already know that fused applique is not for me as a general applique method. It does have it's place but I find it flat - especially as someone who loves hand applique.

 I am sure the embellishing and the quilting will make a difference...

 

 

Next up - turned edge machine applique. I'll be trying the starch method and also the method Kim Diehl uses by ironing the seam allowance down to the shiny side of freezer paper. Then I'll try both clear thread and matching thread to stitch it down. I am not trying glued edges - I just can't bring myself to put that much glue in my quilt - sorry to all those quilters who love glue!

 

I am looking forward to finding a method I can really enjoy so I can get back to applique - I have a few in my queue including the Civil War Bride Quilt.

 

Although I know I will miss all the handwork I used to be able to do at least I am still able to enjoy making quilts - just with different techniques.

 

And I loved that Santa hat so much that here are six more!

 

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

Making do and a BIG mess

My it has been a LONG time since I blogged. I've been trying to get a handle on all my seven quilts that need to be quilted.  That doesn't mean that I have actually quilted any...yet. But I have been making backings and piecing battings to get ready for a marathon basting session. I've been making due and trying to use what I have on hand...trying to use up fabric I'll never use on the front of a quilt and trying to use up the larger bits of batting scraps.

 

 

Here is my work so far! I'm hoping next week I can get at least half of them basted and ready to quilt.

 

 

I have also been very messy....

 

Looking for UFO's, searching for gift ideas in the clutter, and just petting things!

 

My cutting table...only has space to cut the smallest of pieces. 

 

 

My coffee table...where's the table? 

 

 

And the Elf work has begun.

 

 

This I made for my favorite Aunt Sharon (she supplied the pattern and kit) but I loved it so much I had to make more. One for me...5 for others!

 

And it is time for me to start trying new ways to machine applique. This is a little fused version of a Lori Smith 'Fit to Frame' quilt. Not the best picture but I will take better ones as progress comes along. I plan on buttonhole stitching around the edges. All the appliques are a selection from about 6 neutrals that I used throughout the quilt. There will be 12 blocks in all.  

 

 

Now it is time to get cleaning up that sewing room before I lose myself!

 

Happy Stitching!