Friday Finish!

 

While on vacation I couldn't resist getting a few things at the quilt store. One item was a pattern by Patch Abilities. This was a fun one to do and I was able to have something new to add to a wall, that needs a few things. 

I didn't follow the pattern exactly, but I never do. I added some glitter thread in the light for fun and a flower box window on the building. 

Today we finally got out of the house and went for a walk. It has either been too hot or too smoky to be outside. Today we had a break and it wasn't too hot for a short walk at the bird sanctuary. Lots of birds and critters and we had fun standing on the deck and watching 3 snappers, two were males competing for the female.

The Green Heron flew by and landed in the tree.

We also spotted two young Red Bellied Woodpeckers.

It was nice to get out and hopefully we can do more this weekend. It is hard in the summer with all the tourists, and the beaches reach capacity early in the day. I hope everyone is doing well and not stuck in the smoke zone, it is horrid here, so I cannot imagine being in areas with the thicker smoke.

Working on!

 

This week I have been working on a Thanksgiving piece at night and I was able to finish the mittens and cut out the extra blocks. I almost had enough to finish, but was one short. I stuck another block in the center and then I can add a border with the same print, to blend them a bit. Not perfect, but I want to use what I have, so it will do.

Last week we took our walk around the lighthouse. We can get in 3 miles around the road and back path and lots of beautiful views and wildlife.

We are seeing more butterflies coming through.

Lots of Mockingbirds are coming back.

We also took a walk at the bird sanctuary. With the warm weather, the turtles are still out, sunning.

I also was able to spot a Flycatcher at the pond.

When we got to the point, I looked up and was lucky enough to spot a Gray Frog.

A Buckeye Butterfly along the path.

As we were leaving, a Merlin flew overhead, and landed in a tree. I was able to walk back to the spot and catch a photo of him.

As we headed home, we stopped at the marsh. Lots of Egrets and Blue Herons, are still coming through and taking a rest in the marsh.

Today we were heading to the island and noticed the traffic was backed up on the bridge, so we turned around and headed back to walk to the point. I was hoping to spot some seals, but they haven't  come back yet. The walk is nice, through woods and out to a point, with views of the bay.

And I spotted this guy, enjoying a very large fish. Very ugly Vulture that looks comical in the photo. I hope you all enjoyed your week and in areas with nice fall weather. We actually have warm weather coming in again, so we may do some paddling.

Friday Finish!

 

This week seems to have gone by too fast, but I have been busy putting away the Christmas decorations and cleaning as I go. I also had to get the basement cleaned up quickly since we discovered our heater is too old to replace parts. With no idea how long the fan would hold, it was time for a new one. Today they were here all day and got it all done, along with a new air conditioning system. I have wanted one and this way it was included with price and labor, so made it more feasible. Our house has windows in the wrong places for air to circulate properly, so now I can stay cool, no matter what room I am in. 

One thing I needed was another sunglass case. I throw them in my purse and they tend to get scratched and ruined. I found a cute design on the internet and made it up on a wool backing to felt. Nothing fancy, but fun and kept my hands busy. The photo makes it look messy and fluffy, but it is flatter and nicer in person. After felting, I did a simple wet felt to smooth the fibers.

Another thing I did was, prep a couple of projects. One is a long pillow with appliqué that I am working on now, so hoping to have that done by next week. Another is two more panel for the Christmas quilt. The appliqué is on black background, so I tried a little trick. After cutting out the appliqués, I laid the freezer cut out on the background and traced around it with white chalk pencil. This way, when I go to needle turn, I know how much to pull under by keeping under the line. Not the perfect method, but it works for me.

And this is how it looks when done. The pencil stays on long enough for me to work the appliqué. 

I hope everyone is not affected too much by the storms coming through. We will not get much, maybe a dusting when it reaches here. My prayers go out to all those who are devastated by the fires in California.

Working on Friday!

 

Not much going on this week. It has been so hot, that we have been staying home and out of the sun. On weekends, the beaches are so crowded, that it isn't worth going. One more day of heat and the weather will be better, so we can get out more.

I have been working on a new project. It is a design by Cheri Saffiote and I got it from the group, Quilts by Cheri on Facebook. I wanted something quick to work on, that I can use now and this was the perfect piece. It is actually a pillow, but I am making it into a wall hanging. With it being so hot, smaller projects are best.

I have also been practicing on my new machine. Free motion is something I need to practice to get the right speed. I am waiting on a table to fit it, so that should make it easier. I also like the idea of doing machine appliqué for kid's quilts and modern ones for the family.

I hope you all have a nice weekend. This seems to be the worst summer, lots of rain, then smoke, now high heat and humidity. Hopefully next month will bring better weather for all of us.

Friday Finish!

 I am still working on my charity quilts and I wanted a break from sewing, so I made up a halloween piece. I find that I can sit for hours while felting, so it is a good activity when I want to sit and rest. I always start with an idea and it comes out differently, but still fun to make and have something new for the season.

I also, finally, put my scrap quilt together, so now I just need a border and get it ready for quilting. This will be another hand project, I want the stitches to show and it should work up quickly enough, that I will have it ready for Christmas.

Last weekend we went for a few walks. The first was at our local bird sanctuary. Always a nice walk and lots of birds in the area.

A few views on our walk.

And a few of the wildlife, we saw along the way.

On the way out, we spotted a hawk, flying overhead.

And also flying overhead, were a group of World War II planes.

The next day we went to a park in Connecticut. A nice walk along the coastline with views of the ocean, along the way.

We spotted quilts a few groups of birds, who are resting on their way south.

And more shore birds along the way.

Lots of Monarchs, flitting about, gathering nectar for their trip south.

And quite a few dragonflies and bees, as well. Unfortunately we also ran into quilts a few mosquitos and I got bit, way too many times. It was a hot day, so to the best time to be in a swampy area.

Today we went to the island to do a little walking and glass hunting. It was a bit windy and cool, and the waves were higher in the inner bay, due to the hurricane, passing by. I found a few treasures and was delighted to see that the black piece I found was a cobalt blue piece.

I hope everyone had a nice week and plans for fun this weekend. A lot of the places we visit, are ones I found by using Google maps and exploring closely to find walks and parks in the area. See what fun things you can find to do, in your own backyard

Friday Finish and Fun!

 

Another busy week, but a good busy. I was able to finish my new piece and love how it came out. It is so hard to get the true look in a primitive piece, one light makes it too blue, another too yellow, so I tweaked the colors to get as close as possible.

This is a design by Cheri Saffiote Payne, called Church Cat. I was lucky enough to be a Wednesday winner of a free pattern and have always wanted to do this one. I kept it true to the original and hand quilted it.

Over the weekend, we got to spend the afternoon at our beach, with the kids. The weather wasn't as nice though, a bit cooler and gusty, so not as much swimming, as beach combing.

We had a tent set up and my DIL made up sandwiches for everyone.  Nick had fun building rock towers and I found a few pieces of glass.

I was able to check out the new Ospreys. They weren't too happy when I got closer and flew away.

Another day we went and the tide was down, lower then usual. Always fun to walk along the beach and find more treasures.

Yesterday we went for a few hours and the tide was up, the wind was blowing and the waves were rough. This is what happens when the ocean is rough, a bouy that marks the rocky area, let loose and ended up on the beach.

With the high tide, not as many treasures but I was happy to find a purple piece of glass.

And today, my husband took a lot longer to get home and this is why. He surprised me with a Peddle Board. With my broken tailbone, I can walk on water and not have to sit so long. It was fun trying it out in our harbor, easy to peddle and very stable.

Monday we are heading to our state park for a week. This one is near the ocean, so I plan on getting out as much as possible and building up my muscles. I also have some projects to work on, so I plan on relaxing too. I hope. you all have a wonderful weekend and I may post, midweek, so you can follow along with my week.

Friday finishes!

This week I found a free pattern and of course I had to try it. It is a design by a site called Imanufatti. It is in a foreign language, but her instructions and pattern are easy to follow. She has a lot of other tutorials, I will have to check out the rest of her blog when I have a chance.

These would be fun to make up for bowl fillers, to give away or the kids. I made a couple up in a day. I also took the pattern and made it into one shape, instead of separate ears and tail. I was thinking of doing a few more for the boys with a little heart, instead of flowers.

I used a piece of old felt that I had over dyed with yellow. It has a nice mottled and fluffy feel, since I washed it a few times.

I also finished 8 more blocks for my Christmas stocking quilt. If I add three more to the side, it measures 35" x 54". I will pick three new colors for variety and then sew them together. That way I can see how the size fits and how much more I need to add. I don't plan on making a border, just a regular binding on this one. I want it to hang over a rail or couch and still be used, so big enough to be a large lap quilt.

This is such a fun quilt to do, great way to use up scraps and it works up quickly. I am still debating on wether to machine or hand quilt it. Something simple and maybe a good project to take camping, I find hand quilting, very relaxing.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Bill has to work again and it is going to be cold, so I am hoping my crackle comes in tomorrow and I can finish my angel painting.

Friday's Progress

This week I had big plans, one of them being, painting my angel. But, on Tuesday I went to the store and started feeling off and by the time I got home, I realized I had the flu, ugh. So, I took my med and even though I had the flu, it has lessoned the symptoms, but my energy l level was at an all time low. Today I finally felt good enough to get some things done.

One thing I did do, was to prep some stocking blocks and I made up six more, something to keep my hands busy while I rested. Today I added the sashing to see how they looked. Unfortunately I cannot get a good photo, some colors washed out and the red sashing looks too bright. It is not an exact match, but more prim than it looks in the photo. I want to use what I have, and I like the idea of a pop of red.

This is what I have so far, I wanted to see how they look together. Now I need to add some new colors, definitely some golds. Once I have a few more extra colors, I can start sewing them together and build it up. I want it to be big enough to use.

Once it is sewed together, I can hang it somewhere with better light. The blocks are 10' x 7 1/2', and the sashing is 2". I use a 1/4" seam when sewing, so a bit smaller when sewn.

One thing I got while shopping, a new cabinet for my beach room. I realized my wall shelf didn't have enough space to hold my paints, so now I have plenty of room for paints and other items. Bill is building me a long cubby stand to put it on, then I will put my white washed crates in that. I couldn't attach it to the wall and reach the shelves, so this way it will be off the floor but not too high.

I had found some more old slides and this one bought back wonderful memories. Next month, Billy will be 36, doesn't seem that long since he was the little boy I remember. Tomorrow is going to be nice, so hoping to get out with Nick.

"Billy Goats"

Friday Finish!

This week I made a new piece with a free design by Cheri, from her Facebook group, Quilts by Cheri, friendship group. The original is done differently, and I wanted something simpler, so I kept the design on one piece and did it as a pillow.

The finished design is 9" x 12". I made up a drawing of my version and you can find it in the files section, as well as, numerous old designs and new ones that Cheri has shared with the group.

I also had a gift certificate to the Quilted Crow, and I finally used it. It only took a few months to make up my mind. I got Wool & Needle flannels to add to my collection. I have a pack of fat quarters that was gifted to me, then I got some yardage but I needed some lights to balance it all out. Now I am ready to plan a quilt with them. I also got some extra Seasonal Gatherings birds, have used all that I had and love using it in Christmas pieces. The check it to go with the sailor piece, that a friend sent me, it will be used as a border for a quilt in my beach room. And I treated myself to a couple of patterns, one for the beach room and the preprinted stitcheries I got as a treat since I loved seeing the ones done up and want to make some of my own.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have weather coming in, so not sure if I will get beach time.

Friday projects!

This week was a bit of this and that, lots of thinking, doing, but no finishing. I made some more small stocking blocks and having fun, picking scraps from my stash. I have a lot of red and green, so time to add some new colors with the next batch.

I laid them out with a red I had been thinking of using, but it might be a bit on the orange side. I found another that is a deep red. I like the idea of a pop of color by using a skinny sashing between the blocks, but not sure if it blends well with the colors, might have to find some green?

Hard to tell in the photo, but the red on the right side, is a deeper red, but still brighter than the red in the stockings. I will have to see what shades of red and green I can find in the medium weight linens.

I also wanted to paint my angel. I won a class with Teresa Kogut and made a smaller version. I was having trouble watching the video since it kept stalling out, but now it is working fine. Well, I messed up with the lines, using a sharpie was not the best idea, but I can paint over the mess. Of course my brain decided to go on hold, I could not follow along, I was painting too slow this time so I paused and painted ahead, then realized I forgot things, so I made a mess of her face.

To fix that, I just redid the flesh and covered all the blobby, dark shadowing. Now it will be hard to do it in her style, since you go from dark to light. At this point, I will just paint her my way and try again with the next painting.

When my lyme is acting up, my eyes go blurry, so I tried painting in some base colors and gave up. Hopefully my brain will be back to normal next week and I can finish her. I am allowed to give them as gifts, so this will be gifted, if I don't make a total mess of it, lol.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have more rain coming, so hoping we get a break so I can get out for a little beach combing.

After she is finished, the piece gets done with crackle and stain, so that changes the whole look and covers up a lot of flaws;) It is also sanded, so that some of the paper designs will show through. You can check out Teresa's classes at Gather Dream Create. She also has a weekly lesson with different types of designs.

New Project!

I wanted to try the stockings in a smaller size and make a quilt for me, with all stocking blocks. I reduced the design to 9" x 7" and modified the stocking slightly to make it simpler and a bit wider. I am using scraps and homespuns from my stash and all black for the block backs, which is also a homespun style, something like linen.

I am thinking of using a red that is in the same line, as sashing for the blocks, I think that will set it off nicely, then I can do a black binding. I just wanted something simple to make for fun that I can use next year and a great way to use up some of my stash.

This weekend wasn't very nice, too cold on Saturday to stay outside for more than a few minutes. On Sunday we had rain in the forecast, but not till later in the day, so we headed to the beach. It was so nice to walk on the beach and no one else around. Then it started to sprinkle, then rain which was more like ice, so we had to give up. I was disappointed since we hit the tide as it was going out, a perfect time to walk up and down the beach, and look for treasures.

We did find some glass and I grabbed lots of small rocks to play with, so hopefully I can make something this week, for my room.

Friday Finishes!

I always love a new month, it means a new stitchery from Kathy Schmitz's, One Stitch at a Time Club. This was a fun one to do for Valentines, I may even make a few more to give away, maybe try one in red work.

Kathy framed her piece, I made a pillow. It is much easier to find spaces for pillows. I also added a few of my own touches and the word love.

I also finished the last three stockings. I love how they look, just wish they looked as nice in a photo. I say finished, but I have to fix something, I wasn't paying attention on one piece, can you guess what it is?

Next is the row that goes in the middle, it will have stars going across. I hate points, so I may use a fusible to make it easier for turning the points, ahead of time. I will also use the patterned black for that and the outer borders.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, we have rain and snow and cold and not fun weather for being outside.