Projects and Freezing Fun!

I am thinking about the new year and new projects. I have patterns that I have been wanting to do for years and this is the year for Christmas projects. I want to have quilts for different areas of the house, so I am starting with some applique projects that are fun and can be hung on the banister.

This project will be my first, something simpler and easy to appliqué, the designs are very large. The design is in the book 'Tis the season. There is another project with stockings and trees but it has basic blocks on the bottom with the design at the top, so that will be my second project.

The pattern calls  for a black background and now I have to decide, do I want to use a homespun, dull black and go with homespun fabrics for the stockings and make it prim, or go with the heavier, shiny black and do brighter, fun fabrics. What do you think?

We also got a chance to take Nick out for the day. We got both boys some new clothes and we still wanted a coat for Nick, so this way we could try them on. Unfortunately, it seems there are none in his size, so it is a little big, but at least he can wear it next  year.

Even though it was freezing, we took him to the park to have a little fun. About a half hour of that and I was frozen, but he loved it, so worth the frostbite.

They had lots of fun slides and all the walkways had fencing so we didn't have to worry about him going up alone.

He really loves to try new things and he has great balance, these steps are on a pendulum, so you have to keep your balance when they swing, but he did it all by himself.

They had a climbing wall, with a chain to pull yourself up on.

They also had a children's garden, of course the flowers were gone, but a fun place to explore. It is a wonderful park, we will definitely go back, and when it is not so cold. I think this photo would make a fun art piece, will have to work on some ideas.

Today was cold, every day is cold and I am not liking it, lol. We went for a drive and enjoyed the different ocean views, then stopped at the rocky beach. I had my hood and my gloves and I was still freezing. I didn't last long but I got some fresh air and found a few pieces of glass, so it was nice, even if it was short.

I hope you all had a wonderful week and have a wonderful holiday weekend.

New Blocks Finished!

I finally got the newest blocks done and some embellishments, I am thinking this will be a wall hanging so I am adding bells and buttons to make it fun. The hard part will be quilting it, but the good thing is I have my new machine and it will be able to quilt around any bumps.

I love this BOM, it is from Stacy of Buttermilk Basin. There are two more blocks, the W and the longer side piece, can't wait to see what is coming this month. Stacy is at a show so it should be coming soon. I will also have to start going through my stash to see what I will use on the sashing.

Here is how they look together, this one is for me;)

This weekend was the end of Bill's vacation. Saturday we had plans to visit the kids, then they changed it to visiting us and having dinner at our house so we had a cookout, they ate, Ivy fell asleep, the baby cried when I held him and then Nick finally warmed back up to me and we had some fun time together. I am hoping we can get Nick next weekend, maybe take him apple picking, he loves that.

On Sunday we had no plans, a storm was coming so we went shopping and bought our suits. It hadn't rained and I decided to go to the beach and just enjoy the fresh air. Bill went swimming and I just relaxed. We also got a show when hundreds of migrating starlings flew around the area in formations.

Here is one side of the beach, only a few people, best time to go to the beach. Blue skies and sun.

Here is the right side of the beach, cloudy and ominous. We spent a few hours at the beach and not a drop of rain, but behind us the storm had come in and rained at home, so the beach was the place to be. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This week I am hoping to get Cheri's Blocks made, another fun quilt with wool. You can get her blocks on her Facebook group, Quilts by Cheri.

Friday Finish!

This week I received the first design from Kathy's One Stitch at a Time Club. I love the design and had planned on making a framed piece, but you know me, I change my mind as I go and I decided it would make a nice pillow to decorate with. I have been enjoying making larger items that I can place around the house instead of a million little things, so decorating a little bit, here and there to brighten up the house.

The fabric I used is also by Kathy Schmitz, bought it years ago, so it was perfect with the stitchery and I like how the black rick rack looks against it. I think I will make a few more pieces, in smaller versions for gifts.

The pillow is 10" x 9 1/2" and with this, I left it as is, no antique stain, but I may change my mind later;) I put it on the table with my prim tree, maybe I need to do a summer bird theme for the tree. It is a darker area, so lighter pieces work great there.

I realize I only have two weeks to get ready, ugh. I washed the bedding today, I want everything to be fresh before we leave. Next is all the dishes, they need to be washed and things repacked and replenished, so that is going to keep me busy. One thing we got, was a jacuzzi. With my old injuries and pain from the lyme, it is something that helps me to keep moving. The settings keep changing, the temp is too low when I go out to use it and couldn't figure out why. Then today it hit me, Bean is doing it, lol. He likes to jump up and wants me to throw water at him and he is pushing the buttons, when he does. He still doesn't get that the water is not for playing in, guess we need to take him to the beach tomorrow. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Monday Finish!

I actually finished something, and I am pleased with how it came out. I wanted to make something as a gift, as a thank you, instead of the usual card and this is what I made as a thank you. It really touched me, how many reached out and still do to be there for me and I want to do something that brings them joy, as well. I plan on making more things and things that have meaning to each person, so a bit at a time.

The design is by Jenny of ELEFANTZ and she has more designs for free and sale on her Craftsy Store. I have made her original design in a small quilt and when she offered the design in a stitchery, I thought it would make a wonderful pillow. I liked the appliqué bird on the first design but that was too large, so I modified the designs and made it into a pillow size. I would like to make it smaller, so maybe I will move the words so I can enlarge them and do it in a smaller version with the appliqué.

The finished pillow is about 8" x 7". I stuffed it with stuffing and added lavender inside, as well.

I have been shopping and looking for things to decorate the  beach room. I still need to paint it, but it has been so hot, I just can't get into painting walls, so hopefully I will have more energy when we get back from our trip, next week. I found some stones and sea glass and jar candle holders. I plan on putting the heart stones and things I have collected on a candle box and then the candles, but I am still looking for the perfect sized box. I did find a beach style table with a lipped top, so maybe I can get a table in a white shade like that. I have a small white side table, the white crates and a tan chaise, so I want to keep with the main colors and a mix of blue/greens.

Here are the jars, I was trying them with the stones and glass. The stones in the glass heart are the ones I have collected this summer, so I want something I can put them in and see the different hearts and colors. If you like the jars, I got them at Pier Imports, along with the stones and glass.

Friday Finishes!

I had a slow start to the week but I finally got some time yesterday to make a few things. I have been collecting needle felting supplies since a friend sent me some and yesterday I made a bunny for Easter.

I got a book from the library called Little Needle Felt Animals, by Gretel Parker. It has a lot of cute animals, done is a cute artsy style so great for beginners. The rabbit in the book is called Moon Gazing Hare and was a basic rabbit with ears, short legs and a tail. Of course I had to completely change it and make mine with legs and arms, as well as floppy ears and more facial features. I also made a carrot for him.

I learned a few things while making him. Always felt your parts to completion before you attach them. Once they are on, it is hard to felt them into the shape you want. I also put the ears too low, but all in all, I think he is cute and it was fun to make.

The photo makes him look fuzzy, but I felted him into stiff parts, then added a little bit extra at the end to give him a more soft bunny look.

Here is a view with his tail. I went with the traditional puffy tail.

I also wanted to try a sock bunny that I found from a free pattern online. She used a baby sock but I couldn't even find a small colored sock, so I took one of my husband's single that I was saving to find the match. It was way too big and I used the inside of the sock for the fluffy head, but the body part is not as nice. It was fun to make though and would be fun to get some socks at the thrift to use for animals.

I stuck the homespun around his neck, still debating on how to finish the body. You can find the Tutorial Here!

Today I got my new stove, so nice to be able to bake again and of course make more cookies. I am so happy with how it cooks, so much better than my old stove and my cookies came out, just right. I also did Beans laundry, of course he had to help.

I was looking for an old basket that I had, for the sock bunny, thought I could put him in with status and some old looking eggs. I never found the basket, but found this old piece that I made in the 80's. It is when I first started doing appliqué and used what I had, and felt for the appliqué. I made up the design and I notice it is a bit crooked, lol. The background fabric is something I hand dyed. Hard to see the rich colors of the piece in the photo, the bunny is a rusty brown.

Monday This and That!

I had a slow weekend, no shopping since I was too miserable to go out and I don't like making others sick with what I have. The good thing is, better to get it now, then at Christmas;)

I decided to make a rag wreath and used material that I didn't mine ripping up. I put my two wool cardinals and a twig of berries, onto it and instant prim wreath. They are fun to make and a nice thing to do while resting and watching tv.

The cardinals were made with a pattern by Apine Industriose with a few changes by me.

I also wanted to try some paper snowflakes. I do make paper cuttings and intricate snowflakes and cuttings, but I wanted a simple way with just cutting and having fun. I found a nice tutorial  from First Palette on how to fold the paper for cutting and they also have a section with templates that you can use. The sad thing is, I am no good at cutting this way, my brain takes a turn and I end up cutting the wrong way and messing up, but fun to try. The one on the upper right is supposed to be christmas trees and angels. A good rule to remember is, if you are cutting shapes, cut or draw only half the shape on your paper, then it will come out like a round head, instead of a double bird head. The smaller star is one I bought, it has crystals so the sun hits them and throws rainbows around the room.

Bean still keeps me busy, I have come to realize that I just have to put him in the cage when I need a real rest break so I don't have to worry about what he is doing. Today he was good and took naps while I rested, tonight he was back in high gear. I tend to eat a lot of snacks and Bean loves anything I eat, so far. Tonight we had yogurt and he got a frozen chicken piece as a treat. Nice snack for him to much on and gives him something to teeth on.

As you can see by his face, he ate his yogurt out of the container, good to the last lick.

Friday Finishes!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had a nice dinner and a quiet day, just what I needed. I finished one punch needle piece and started another one, so I am enjoying working on that. It is a piece done with the nativity scene, so hopefully I can finish it this weekend.

This piece is a free pattern from The Old Tattered Flag, for use on the Facebook group, The Out of Hand Rughookers Group. She said we could use it for punch, as well as hooking, so I made a punch with mine. I want to take it further, so I have something else I will be doing with it and I have to go in and fill those little gaps that I missed when I was punching. That is what  happens when you are tired and finishing the last rows;)

I was being lazy and used my little camera, so not the best quality compared to how it looks in person. I used scraps from my floss box on this piece.

Another piece I started was the spencerian birds, and decided it would make a nice pillow. I added a border that will work for Christmas but also prim enough to use all year. This and the sheep will be aged when they are finished. I am just wondering about adding an edging and what type. I had some old cream cotton lace and it didn't look right, so thinking on it, but needs to get done by next week.

My fur babies enjoyed the holidays too. Moki and Bean, in the spirit of the holiday, shared a meal together:) I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish and Winner!

I have been working on a  couple of projects this week, but only one that is finished. My sister saw a snowman piece online and decided she wants me to make her snowmen pieces and she will be visiting this month, so I am making a few of them before she gets here. One is a punch needle and I am doing it in 3 strands, so slow going;)

Since I need something that I can finish in a  few days and I also needed an indoor wreath, I decided to make one. I used various fabrics with dark oranges, browns and golds with a touch of yellow and really like how the colors look together. The colors go perfectly with the prim look. I did get some fake picks to add to it and then stuck the apple in the middle. The apple was a set that a friend sent me.

And now for the winner of the giveaway. The blob in the water is a cormorant. It was sitting on the water and the minute I hit the shutter, it dove under. The winner of the free pattern is Kathy Mackie! Kathy, email me with your choice of an epattern or ebooklet from my ecrater site.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. We have more rain coming in but we will try and get out on sunday for a drive up the Connecticut river to revisit the castle and drive up the river to enjoy the foliage.

Friday Finishes!

I was able to spend time working on projects this week and it was a great stress reliever, as well.

The first piece I finished was my Christmas wall hanging. The pattern is called Hang The Stockings by JoAnn Mullaly. 

For mine, I added some star quilting, in some areas. I also stained it, then let it sun dry so it got more of a splotchy effect. As the sun pulls the moisture away from the fabric, it leaves the walnut stain behind, so it is not as controlled but gives it more of a true aged look. It is hard to get a true photo of the piece since some colors pop and others darken too much, it is more blended and yellowed in person.

I needed something else to keep my hands busy so I made up another punch needle star. This time I used the cat design from Renee Mullins and extended the scarf into the bottom of the star. I was trying to raise the loops on the scarf but it didn't work out the way I wanted, I would have to go higher on the loops, so I will have to try another piece and practice my sculpting.

I still need to clean it up and fix some spots, then I will do up all of the stars, into ornaments.

Another thing I did this week was to antique a wooden cat, that I found. I can't pass up a .99 cent deal and will a little sanding, some antique medium and a rusty bell, he is now a primitive kitty. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and hopefully I will feel good enough to get out and enjoy the good weather, we are  having.

Friday Finish!

It took me all week, but I finally finished my table topper. My friend Kelley sent me the piece and I decided to make it into a Christmas mat. I added the green border, which is fabric that she sent me, as well.

The finished piece measures 26" x 17". I did the hand stitching with black pearl cotton. I antiqued it with walnut ink, that was diluted to a watery consistency in the bottle, so I could spray it on. I wanted to give it a light touch but enough to give it a slight aged look.

The colors are off, since I didn't get a photo until tonight. As you can see, it has my trademark, wonky borders;)

Here is a closer view of the borders. I did stitches around all the inner and outer edges and for the skinny border, I added a zig zag stitch and tree shapes in the larger border. Nothing fancy, but a nice project to work on at night.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend. I am looking forward to the day after, when the crowds are gone and Bill will get some days off so we can enjoy paddling at our favorite places.

Indigo Blue Table Mat!

I finished my table mat this weekend and love how it looks on the table. We got a slate blue couch and just having something that matches, really warms the area up. The table is really an old cupboard top that had a stained glass front, but that got broken and now it is used as a table top with shelves to put my things.

This is the top, as is. I had to wash it to get rid of the chalk marks, yellow is not easy to get out. It shrank up and warped a bit, but fits the spot perfectly. The mat measures 23 1/2" x 13".  I stuck the candle on top so you could see the colors. I have a reproduction pencil box that sits there and holds my scissors and other items.

I decided it was too white and bright, so it got a walnut ink wash. I dried it in the sun and it got spotty, so I rinsed it down a bit and resprayed, then dried it in the dryer and now it has just the right aged look. The extra washing and drying, warped it more, but is is laying flat now, on the table.

Here is a close up of the staining and my stitching. I used DMC floss, 2 strands of #612. A great color for when you want a lighter, primitive shade.

I also decided my rooster was too light, I do like my darker prim look. I used walnut on the main colors and then tried java ink on the orange, but it muddied it on the outer edges of the tail, but it does look old now. Now I have to decide how I want to finish it. Today the summer UFO's went in a box, they will have to wait till late winter. Now it is time to get going on Christmas, I am hoping to have projects finished in time, this year;)

Crosses Wall Quilt!

Today I stained my quilt with tea, but it didn't come out the way I wanted. I wrung out the quilt and hung it on a line and sprayed a diluted walnut stain on it, to darken it more. Unfortunately it doesn't show the staining with a camera. 

After I let it drip dry on the line, I threw it in a dryer to finish the drying and it came out with a  nice crinkly look. I had to iron it to get it to lay flatter, so that took out some of the crinkling.

The idea came from an antique quilt, and I added the circle and leaves to mine. It is done with fusible raw edge and hand stitched, then hand quilted with dmc pearl cotton. For the strings, I used precut strips from a log cabin quilt, that a friend was making and she sent me the extras. I wanted to keep it scrappy and the strips were perfect, for the look that I wanted. The middle and border strips were done with Barbara Brackman's line, 1862 Battle Hymn.

The quilt measures 28" x 28".  It is darker in person with stain spots from the walnut spray.

Here is a close up of the stitching. I do a basic stitch, no thought to keeping it perfect, but I try to be something uniform;)

And here is a link to the original quilt. I really like how the strings look and think this would be fun to do with a bed sized quilt and change out the middle with a different appliqué design. A great way to use up scraps. The photo is courtesy of Quilt Museum and Gallery.

Montana Majesty Mini Quilt!

This week I have been working on my flying geese quilt, hand sewing takes a lot longer but I am on the last two rows of quilting, then I can do the ties and bind it. I am trying something new with it, so once I finish, I can explain how I did it.

I wanted to make something quick and smaller and one quilt I have been wanting to make is Montana Majesty by Nancy of Tom Miner Quilts and Folk Art. I love the idea of doing strips with scraps but I don't have the time to make another large quilt, right now. So, I made a mini version.

I used wool for my appliqué and reduced it. Then I took strips that a friend gave me from one of her log cabin quilts. I kept sewing strips together until I got a size that fit the design and sewed them together. The border is also from my friend, so I got to use up some of my scrap stash. The quilt is 17" x 14".

I used #5 black pearl cotton to do the quilting and a prim stitch around the design and then in each strip and border. Next time you want to play with your scraps, try making a mini version of your favorite quilts. I also used wools from my thrift wool stash.

Sailboat quilt in Progress!

I started working on a new project this week and still working on it. The pattern is from a book by Sarah Sporrer called, One Summer at the Shore. I thought this would be a fun one to do for summer and I liked the scrappy look.

I used scraps for mine and went a little wild with the pattern choices. The tea stained background will be sewn onto the blue background, using the raw edge of the muslin. I am not sure how it looks together, what do you think? It is a dark blue with circles that have a star in them.

Once I get that on, then I will do some primitive quilting designs and use a red edge for the binding.
I also think I need to add a little stitchery for some detail on the lighthouse, will mull it over and we shall see how it turns out;)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a Happy Mother's Day! I am planning on an outing in Connecticut so hopefully the weather is nice and we can get out for the day.

Weekend Quilt Show!

This weekend I went to our local quilt show by the Narragansett Bay Quilters. It is not a huge show but a nice one with amazing quilts. I was able to walk around for a few hours before my rib gave out and I was able to treat myself to a charm pack of nautical fabric by Janet Clare which I have plans for and some stick on thimbles for my poor fingers.

There were a lot of quilts at the show and they were all beautiful but some of my photos came out blurry or the color was so off that they looked ugly. I have put the photos in my photo account so you can enjoy them at your leisure and get a better view in the larger sizes. I do have the photos at full size if you need any info on the quilt or pattern.

Here is one of my favorites, you may see more quilts, HERE.

Friday Finish: Rabbit Wall Hanging

This week I worked on a small piece to hang on the wall. I enjoy doing smaller pieces, something I can work on while I relax and finish in time to enjoy for the season. I really like this design, it reminds me of a Warren Kimble painting and looks nice on the wall.

The design is by Sarah Sporrer  and part of her Folk Quilt of the Month. The patterns are older but if you do a search for her patterns, there are still some for sale. I was lucky enough to get some of her patterns from my friend Karen. You can see the bird piece as her banner, I think I will do that one next.

I decided to try something different with mine. I used the yarn dyed japanese taupes for the appliqués and some older fabric that was similar in weight for the background. I really like how it came out and I think this design would look nice in a pair with different color schemes.

I cropped some of the border so I could get a closer look at the details on the fabric. The appliques are a black shade but the flash left it a bit lighter. For the applique, I used  lana wool thread, which appears white as well as the green for the date, flash is not a quilts friend. For the words, I used a #5 dmc cotton thread, I like how it sewed, and shows up nicely on the background.

If you would like something fun to do for the week, Kaaren has her Friday Freebie and it is a fun piece to do for Easter. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

And today is my son's birthday, he turned 32 today. I found this photo of us when we went climbing up Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire. He was almost two and Bill and I took turns carrying him up the mountain, he was that light.

Fabric Dying!

This weekend I decided to make a rag wreath for spring and use up some of my old stash. I had yellows and greens and some pink and blue that I could add for a spring touch but I soon realized that the yellows had white backgrounds and too much showed on the wreath. This wreath will be for the front door so I want it to show up and not be too white or grungy.

These are the yellows I am using, as you can see they are bright, but perfect for a front door. The backs are just too white especially since there is white in the prints.

I decided to try yellow rit dye to darken up the backs and hopefully not destroy the prints on the front. I used about a half bottle to about two yards of fabric and the dye took nicely and didn't ruin the print, but it spotted the backs so some areas are lighter than I wanted. I did read on their site that using salt can help to set the colors more evenly, so I will have to try that next time. All in all it is a good way to darken up white backgrounds with fabrics that are too light and perfect for rag wreaths. Rit Dye has some wonderful tutorials and a color chart, that will give you recipes when you click on a color and shade that you like.

This is how it came out, not as dark as I wanted, but it will still work in the wreath.

I also had two greens that had white backgrounds and since the yellow was gone from the pot, I added some green and did these two pieces. They took the color better and got a darker background so they will work nicely in the wreath. If you would like to learn how to make your own rag wreaths you can visit House of Stars for a tutorial and a beautiful nautical wreath that you can make. Rags-n-Rhinestones has another wonderful tutorial for a country wreath that has buttons and yo yo's as an added touch.

It is hard to see how it actually looks with a camera shot, but the back  has a nice dark green and is not such a contrast to the front, in person. I hope the links inspire you to do your own dying with ugly fabrics and try a scrap wreath.

Welcome Quilt!

I finished another small piece this week, a welcome quilt from Whimsicals. It can be found in the book, From Mom and Me. I have a few of Terri's older books and love her designs and thought it was time I made this one.

It is a simple pattern and I used wool for the applique, so it was easy to make up. It is the perfect size to hang on my wall rack with the heart piece, for now, then it will be gifted to someone.

I made a simple border instead of the one that went with the pattern, but I like the black fabric around this design and with the antiquing it worked nicely.

Here is the piece on the drying rack, love how the walnut ink stained on this piece.  For small quilts, I water it down and then brush it on with a paint brush, it gives it a more aged and spotted look. I also dry it on a rack in the front loader, so it crinkles it up a bit and it also gives it an uneven look, but I don't like ironing it out to straighten it, since it takes the wrinkles out.

Another trick I like to do is, antique the clothes pins. I soak them in watered down walnut ink and let them dry in the sun. It gives them a nice aged look for hanging quilts.

A New Year, A New Quilt!

Even though I have a ton of unfinished projects I wanted to make something for me, just for fun. I started the Bible Quilt by Jan patek and got one block done. Seems to take me long to stitch with my stiff hands and my applique is pathetic, but I am enjoying the process, so imperfections are fine.

I am using older material that my friend sent me, but wondering if it is too thin for a quilt. I wanted it to look time work, so mixing up the blocks and if it seems too bright with the lighter fabrics, I can always tea stain it. The fabric I used on this one is the lightest, more of a yellowed white, but I wanted to lighten it, so you could see the fabrics in the appliqués.

No matter how much I measure and plan, my placements are always off, but that will just add to the naivette of it;) This will be a display piece so I am not too worried about it getting washed a lot, just so it hold together when I do.

I am using mostly homespuns and civil war type prints, so fun picking out colors for each piece. As  you can see, I make my circles by hand, so none are the same or perfectly round.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful New Years. Blessings to you and your families.

Friday Finishes!

It was a slow week, but I did get a few things done. I did a search for designs using coloring pages as the add on and found some nice designs to try. I wanted to make round ornies with them, but then stuffed them too much, the balsam does weigh more than stuffing so I decided to keep them, as is and call them bowl fillers. I think they would be nice in a display with fake greenery to give the scent of fresh pine.

The candle was too light to see, so I colored in some yellow with fabric markers, and the flash made it look brighter, than it is. The birds were done on a white cloth and then I tea stained them. I think for the next ornies, I need to make a packet, filled with balsam to put into them.

I sewed these by machine, but I think I like the ones that I hand sewed and left a raw edge. Those I can just make a packet of scent, so will try that type next.

I also worked on my hexagon tree skirt and finally got it all together. Now I have to decide how to trim the edges. I wanted to quilt it, but I need to figure out how to do the edge. Add one on after I quilt it or add a ruffle and then quilt it, but not sure if that will work. Would love suggestions and comments on how you made your tree skirts.

It was raining and windy today, so no out door photos. The flash really messes with colors, but his one is brighter, not prim. I like brighter folk art for Christmas, as well as prim styles, mixed together.

And here is a close up of my piecing. I cut out the hexagons with a go cutter, then I mark the seams with a quarter inch ruler. Then I sew them by hand, matching the seam lines and the points, so I usually get nice joins but on occasion I get sloppy and there are a few creases, here and there;)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.