Friday Finish and Fun!

I didn't get a lot done on my projects this week, but I did finish more masks. I have some flag material left, so I will finish that off and not make too many more unless it is for a specific person or someone asks. It is hard on my hands and joints, and I have a ton of projects waiting to be finished, so I will start working on those.

I also tried a new style, a box style. It was a lot easier to do and easier on my hands, but tougher on my machine. There is more finish sewing and going through the thicker edges, is not making my machine happy. I like the look in one way, but the stitching seems sloppy. It also is too snug on my nose, so you have to wear it looser, which defeats the purpose of wearing one.

If you want to try this style you can find the video on YouTube. It is easy to follow and I think if you have a smaller nose, it might be perfect.

We also got to spend time with the boys this weekend. The beach was more crowded so we left after a bit and took them fishing at a local pond. It was nice and the boys had fun. Nick got to use a real hook and Alex practiced with the plastic fish, but it only took one lesson and he was casting like a pro.

And for my quiet time, I have been sitting on my porch and enjoy the birds and critters who come to visit. Some birds have left the nest but these two still have a brood that they are feeding. 

Bill has the next week off, it is our anniversary on Sunday, 45 years. We had planned on going to Maine, but that is cancelled, so we will have to do day trips in our area. I was planning on trips to western Connecticut but we may be in for a heat wave, so hiking may not be the best activity. I guess it is time to get the kayaks on the water, so we will see were our adventures take us.

Friday this and that!

This week Bill was home for half of it, so I didn't get any of my projects done. I did make more masks. I got a request when someone saw mine, so I made up a big batch that I can take in and hopefully sell to others at the trailer place. This way I can pay for my supplies and give away masks to others who cannot afford them.

I was able to go to a local quilt shop and they had a lot of fun fabrics, but I had to go quick, tell her what I wanted and get out, lol. They only took in one at a time so it kept others from waiting. Though the lady before me was taking her time and getting lots of fabric. I did get two nice ones, a fun camping print and flags. I also got some eagles and native American from Walmart, the only two bolts they had, but great prints.

We also had a day at the beach, but the other glass collector was leaving just as we came in, so I know she got all the surface pieces, but I was still able to find a nice collection.

 And we got to spend the day with the boys. They were full of energy and having a wonderful time at the boys camp, they really needed a day out. They both love jumping but Alex doesn't understand that you are supposed to say catch, before you jump into someone, lol. Luckily grandpa has quick reflexes.

And they explored and played with items they found on the beach. Alex enjoyed throwing sticks and logs into the water, then he would say, bye bye. One log was a bit too big and heavy to throw, but he tried with all his might.

And we had some quiet time so grandma could rest, and of course the boys had to be goofy for the camera.

And the next day we went hiking with Bean. We found a new place that went along a river and then into a farm field. The birds are what we spotted along the way and the bridge is from the next hike.

Since we were in the area, we checked out another hiking area and decided to try that one too. Another one that was wooded and ran along the river and no people. We even stumbled onto an old cemetery from the original owners of the land.

And to top our week off, we are not getting the big trailer, but were able to get a new class C that had just come in. Our dealer gave us first dibs and it is just the right size to go on adventures with and take the boys out for day trips and weekends. I was apprehensive about having to find good spots for a large trailer and the fact that we cannot camp right now, so now we can do day camping and just have fun and still camp when they open again. It will also be nice because I can bring our food and have picnics while we watch the sunset or stop for lunch on long drives, especially if we take the boys with us, much easier than hours in a back seat.

I hope you all have a good weekend and prayers that this virus dies out soon and we can all get back to a new normal.

Friday Finish!

It was a slow week with the flu, mostly watching tv, resting, cleaning and working on my projects. I had to redo the background for my snowmen, better than before but not what I wanted. At this point, I am not redoing it again, so I will fix a few things on the main design and leave it as is.

I do enjoy stitching when I am sick, easy to do and few supplies to gather. I made up some more lavender sachets with a design by Theodore Cleave. She used to offer a lot of nice free designs, but she still sells some nice ones. They are great as gifts and I still have a batch of finished stitcheries, for a quilt or I may make pillows as gifts, since the saying are so nice.

I loved making this one, and fun to color in. I tried some buttons on one and glitter floss in the middle of the other flowers. I also used glitter thread for their wings. I usually get lavender from a local shop, but since I am stuck at home, I decided to order some online. I was surprised at how fragrant it was, much better than what I have gotten. I think 2 pounds will make plenty of sachets to place around the house and some in the new trailer.

Last weekend we were able to see eagles at both ponds. The problem was, my camera was acting up and wouldn't focus, so I think I am pressing the button on the side by accident, so I have to watch my settings when I shoot. Most of the photos came out blurry from the first spot, so hopefully I can get better ones, the next time. He flew close a few times and then he flew off with a hawk, following behind.

I also enjoy watching the birds in my backyard. It is the time of year when large flocks gather in the area. There is a flock of robins and a lot of different blackbirds, they fill the trees around me.

And one day I noticed that one of the squirrel's nests had gotten twice the size. I looked with my binoculars to see what it looked like and this is what I saw. A squatter took it for a safe place to sleep, but he did leave the next day. I rarely see raccoons, but I think he was startled by something or at night and wanted somewhere safe, to catch up on some sleep.

We haven't been glass hunting lately, it is way to cold and breezy at the beach. We decided to go for a quick look and grabbed what we saw as we walked down the beach and this is what I found.

And I decided that I needed to make early reservations if I wanted to get a spot at Wolfe's Neck in Maine. It is a working farm on the ocean, so we can relax, bike ride and paddle, and lots of places to visit in the area. We stayed there fifteen years ago and even though I can't paddle the long distances, it will be fun to paddle in the coves.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Patriotic Bowl Fillers!

Today I wanted to make something fun and quick to do a little decorating. With the cabinets being redone, it is hard to keep the house clean and redo things for the season, but there are some spots I can play with that don't get messed up by my husband.

I wanted something to use as bowl fillers, so I tried two different ornies. One is the flag pillows, a quick and easy project. I used red and white ticking for the flag, then I sewed a backing onto it and lightly stuffed it. I sewed the star onto the blue piece and put that on with a simple running stitch.

I wanted to make a rag flag to put in the basket, but didn't have time today, so I put a piece of blue ticking in it, for now. It looks light in the photo, but it has been antiqued and a lot darker in person. A couple of rag balls and a few things I had in the house and I have a little setting for the top of my chest.

The Patriotic mouse is a piece that I won from Ragpatch Primitives.

The firecrackers I made by using scraps, so the size was dependent on what I grabbed. They measure about 6" x 2". I sewed them on the machine and left the tops open, then added a piece of jute for the fuse. They are stained with a combination of mahogany and walnut stain.

And of course, being the proud Grandma, I had to show a new photo of my grandson. Grandpa is holding him in his lap.

Union Cradle Quilt!

I wanted to make something fun for me and also a piece to enter into the contest at This-n-That Fabrics. The contest is for patriotic quilts and I have always wanted to make this design by Barbara Brackman. You can find the pattern in the book, Civil War Woman.

I soaked it it walnut crystals and tea but it didn't come out the way I wanted, so I laid it on the floor and sprayed it with my walnut ink. I wanted this one to look like an antique quilt and I really like how it came out. I used black pearl cotton to do the quilting. I also used fusi-boo for the batting. I really like how well it stays on and it has a nice soft touch.

I wanted to redo my office into a guest room and thought that a civil war soldier theme would be fun to design around. Something fun for a little boy and a place where I can display my husband's trains and steins.

I tried different shots, I think this quilt needs to be draped on something or part of a cradle display.
I reduced the blocks and applique by 20%, so my quilt came out as a 36" quilt.

Here is how it looks spread out. I could not get a good straight on shot or an outdoor shot, another rainy day. You can see the dark areas in the quilt, in person, it looks like a quilt that has been used and aged. I had to lighten it a bit so you could see the detail.

One of those weeks!

This week I planned on finishing the baby quilt. I had it all ready to quilt and that is when my machine decided to break, ugh. It seems the lever in the last thread slot is broken, so she is at the shop being fixed.

Then my husband goes down to the basement and there is water on the floor. An outside pipe is leaking and soaking into the basement, so we had to have our water shut off. The plumbers have to get a permit to dig in that area so they won't be back till monday. I spent one day learning how much I need running water, lol. Our neighbor let us hook a hose up to her house, so now we have water, though it smells like new hose, definitely not something I will use for drinking or cooking.

I worked on my quilt and decided to add my own touch. The original has stars and eagles but I wanted to add a little touch of my own to the borders and since it is americana, I went with red and yellow.

I tried getting a good shot, but the wind kept blowing it, but you can get the general idea. I will be doing black outline stitches around the appliques and in the blocks.

The design is by Barbara Brackman. It is called Union Cradle Quilt and can be found in her book, Civil  War Women.

New Project!

Yesterday I had a me day, nice quiet day all by myself and I wanted to make something just for fun. I have been wanting to make Barbara Brackman's , Union Cradle Quilt but wanted something I could make quick and easily, so I made a few changes.

First I reduced the block size to 6" instead of 8". Then I reduced the appliques by 20% on the scanner to fit with the new size. The original quilt is in two colors, but I wanted a patriotic quilt, so I used red and blue ticking for the blocks and a blue ticking for the border. The border is lighter than I would have used, but it was all I had that worked and I plan on tea staining the quilt, when it is finished. I also used wools for the appliqué and scraps that I had laying around. I want the quilt to be scrappy and old looking, when it is finished, so the wools are ones I cut out from old jackets.

I made the border a bit larger since it will have eagle appliques on it and when the quilt is done, I will use a part of the border as the binding by folding it to the backside.

I might just enter this one into the contest at This-n-That Fabrics. You can enter a patriotic quilt that you have made this year, has to be a new one and it ends this month.

The outer blue is a brushed homespun, but the flash makes it look shiny.