Friday Finish and Fun with the Boys!

 

This week I have been working on finishing a couple of projects. One is still in the works, but I was able to do the binding and add the quilting to that. This is a panel I bought years ago and decided to hand quilt the design. Originally I was thinking a long pillow but it is too big for that. 

I just finished the last stitching tonight, so I need to clean it up, chalk marks and pet hair. I have a plan for hanging it over my desk, so when Bill makes me a hanger, I will show you what I came up with. It is hard to see the stitching on the piece, the outlines are gold and I did a black stitch around all of the designs. Someday I might make a straight quilt, but so far, that isn't happening.

Last weekend we got to spend some time with the boys at the beach. The weather was nice, but it got cold after we got there, but they still had fun exploring and playing.

Nick was a bit disappointed that he couldn't find any treasures. The tide was just going out, so not much on the beach. He was happy that there was a playground, he loves playgrounds.

Alex is at a fun age, and he loves to have his picture taken. He is happy just being a boy.

I also have been enjoying my backyard birding. This weekend is the great bird count. Anyone can join in,  you just sign in and they have a bird ID program if you are not sure what you have seen. It helps them with statistics around the states. Check out, The Great Bird Count.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and maybe enjoy birds in your area. There are lots of different feeders, and that is the best way to attract them. 

May The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

Friday Finish!

 

This week I was finally able to finish the quilt I made for the kids. I had to wait for my finger to heal more so I could do the quilting on the border. They got it tonight and loved it, so that made me happy. Hopefully I can get more quilting down now that it is getting cooler.

The design is by Kathy Schmitz and I added the extra hearts in the corners, to fill in the empty space. 

Here is a close up of the quilting, I used a darker green that blended nicely with all the colors. I like to hand quilt to give gifts, that personal touch and only use the machine for the border piecing.

And we spend time at the beach. Higher tides which are nice for swimming.

The surf was also rougher so most glass that I found was thrown up as I walked. The beach is becoming more popular with collectors so they clean the beach before we get there.

And School has started. The boys got their first day photo and no way to get out since their road was flooded. It was so bad in their area, they closed the school too. Today they were able to go and I heard that Alex cried when he had to leave Nick, he loves his big brother.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend. For us it means too many people and backed up traffic at the beaches, so we will find some quiet places, inland.

Monday Works and Wanderings!

This weekend I was able to get some more of my quilt done. I am doing a simple black stitching around the edges and in the larger solid blocks, I was thinking of adding a stitched heart in the middle. Then to attach the back, I will do a tack in the middle of each heart.

I might just stick with a simple border stitch on the outer borders. It is not a the best quilt, as you can see by the crooked piecing, so I don't want to spend too much time on fancy stitching.

This weekend we got out for some beach time. The tide was higher, but it was going down, so we were able to enjoy walking on the beach and watching the seagulls fight for food. This guy wasn't going to share his dinner with anyone, and swallowed the whole fish.

Even though the tide was higher, it was down enough to find glass. We walked to the far end where it is rocky and found a few nice pieces, then on the way back, we searched on the newly exposed areas and found more. This beach had some nice pieces of pottery, as well.

Sunday was a cloudy day with predicted rain. I decided it was worth going to the beach, even if we could only spend an hour, I just feel so much better at the ocean. The tide was higher so we dug in the piles of stones and found quite a few nice pieces.

I circled one stone, at least it looks like a stone, but something made me keep it. When you put a light under it, it is green. You never know with older, thick glass. It is so dark it looks like a stone, but one indicator for me is, when it starts drying, it gets the salt specks on it. I am glad I didn't throw it back.

I also collected some tiny bits to put in my wave. Some stones go into the garden pile. When I find things, I can't always tell how they really look until they dry, especially the white stones. I think I need to bring a flashlight with me, for next time, I could be passing up old glass and not know it. And I think I need to get more glass jars to store all my treasures;)

Friday Finish!

This week I worked on a  new punch needle piece. My friend gave me a few from her old stash and she knows I love patterns by Brenda Gervais of Country Stitches. The bunny was a perfect one to do for spring.

The original pattern is set on a wooden board, but I wanted to do something different and make mine into a pocket. I like how it came out and it looks nice hanging from my peg rack. I added a thicker piece of wool yarn around the edge and used that as the hanger.

I also finished the ties on my quilt, now I just need to trim the edges and add binding. The triangles are done with hand stitching and then I used the ties along the middle of the strips. 

You may remember the post were I showed you my messy rooms. Well, now I am thinking it would make more sense and be more efficient to change the rooms. I hate to move my beach room, which was my daughter's room, but it is longer and I think it will hold the machines and table much better than the more square room. So, I am measuring and thinking it out and if I do that, the beach room will be upstairs and become a guest room and the small room will be my room to relax and create in, as well as a play area for the kids. I can get floor couch chairs that make into beds so they will also have a place to sleep when they visit. You can see the rooms on this post, what do you think?

It looks like a cold weekend, so no walks, but hopefully we can get out and enjoy some time outside for short periods. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

I love to work with wool and when I saw Rebekah's book, and the projects that others were doing, I knew I wanted to have her book. When I saw a blog hop with a giveaway of her book, I had to enter. I couldn't believe I was the lucky winner of her book and even more excited when I saw all of the wonderful projects in it. You can see her book and other wonderful wool patterns at Rebekah's Website. She also sells kits and wool if you want to get the time worn look of her pieces.

I decided to start with the cat pillow and I have finished the top, so far. It will be set on another piece of wool but I wanted to look at it and decide if it is ok, as is or if I should change anything, before I make it into a pillow. What do you think? Of course I changed a few things and used buttons for the eyes. I wish I could get the colors better, I tried using dark and prim hand dyed wools from my stash. I used DMC for the stitching.

Of course the colors do not look right in the photo, the background is a darker brown shade and the spots of blue or yellow are markings I made, so those will get washed out.

I won the book from Doreen of Vermont Harvest Folk Art, who is a wonderful artist in her own right. I love her unique pumpkin men and the pieces she creates. She also has wonderful patterns and PDF patterns so you can buy and start working on it right away.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I am still trying to decide on a trip for tomorrow, so a new adventure and hopefully more foliage now that a week has gone by.

A Song in my Heart pillow!

This was another one of those weeks. Actually Thursday was just one of those days that I should have stayed in bed, but that was impossible because the first thing I had to do was strip my bed to clean up the cat puke on it. What woke me up was Bean whining, he was getting into things outside and it upset his stomach and he didn't make it out in time, so another mess to clean up.

Then I started cleaning and slipped on the floor and fell on my bad side, so not a good day to clean after all, I hit a few old injuries and made some new ones;) But, that wasn't the end of it, I was under the chair to get Bean's ball and he went screaming into my nose so now I have a really sore nose.

This week I worked on a pillow for our choir director. She was the one who helped me with the songs for Danielle's Mass and some of the songs I chose were not allowed and I was just too tired to think anymore, so I said, I trust you, you pick the rest out. Well, she spent all day going through songs to pick out just the right songs that were similar to what I picked.

I remembered a design by Primitive Blessings and luckily I still had a copy. She does not have her site  up anymore and hopefully she will get a new service and list them again, I love using her designs for gifts. I love the saying on this one and I added an edging and filled it with stuffing and lavender. The back material has angel designs with inspirational sayings. I hope she likes folk art.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Today I got some supplies I needed and hoping to get out for some short walks this weekend. Besides being sore, I am out of shape, and the weather is perfect for  hiking.

Friday Finish and Start!

I have been promising my daughter a new quilt for her room, for a few years now, so I thought it was time and her birthday is in a few weeks. She will be 30 this year, and it seems only yesterday that I was 30, lol.

I won fabric from a giveaway by Sheri of A Quilting Life. The fabric is Soho Bandana by Amy Barickman and hosted by Indygo Junction. I wanted to make her a rag quilt and also added denim cottons to the fabrics I won. I am using the main fabrics and saving the whites for the back, as well as yardage with larger prints for matching pillows. I did get a lot of fabric!

I was given a gift certificate by a friend and bought myself a cutting die for the rag blocks and I love how it cuts easily and smoothly, and I don't have to hand cut all those little snips.

This is what I have gotten so far. I think I will start cutting some back material and the batting and start sewing to see how it goes. This will be my first, so hopefully I will not mess it up. I did read that the precuts can get caught in the edge, when sewing, so I will watch for that. Any tips on sewing the rag blocks from the accuquilt die, would be appreciated.

I am going to alternate a dark denim, then a soho block, then a washed denim. This is when I wish I had a program to try the colors out and where to put them. I do have one, but it is a mac versions and it frustrates me too much to use it;)

I also finished the new ornament for the ornament of the month. You can find the new ornament at Attic Heirlooms. They are fun to make and it will be fun to have a set at the end of the year.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend!

Friday Freebie!

This week I hit 500 followers and I wanted to thank all of you who visit my blog with a little gift to make for Easter. I found the design in an old book that I found in a thrift. It is called A Treasury of Needlework Designs by Martha Zimiles.

I took a flower design and remade it to fit the egg shape and a few vines. I got the idea last minute, so I just made it up today and I think it would be fun to do it in different shades and edgings. The wool for the egg is a loose weave, white with flecks of easter colors but the flash washed them out. I didn't think it would sew well on the machine so I hand stitched it with a blanket stitch.

A trick I learned, when trying to trace a design onto light wools or felts, draw your design in a thick sharpie, it will show through on a light box. I like to trace the design with a blue washable marker, so I can place the pieces as I got and not have to worry about placement.

When I use a blanket stitch, I use a few pieces of batting and add stuffing between that so I don't have to worry about the stuffing coming through the spaces.

Here is the design I made up for the appliqué egg, you may use it in other mediums, as well. I am thinking it would be fun to needle felt one and use some of my variegated roving.

I also finished my BOM by Stacy of Buttermilk Basin. I really like how it came out and can't wait to see what next month's block will be.

The puppy magnet is a free pattern that can be found at Apine Industriose. I used two in mine, one in front and one in the back, so it can hold up heavier pieces like this.

Monday Finishes!

I was able to get in some sewing time this weekend and finished one piece, made another and started to finish a UFO.

The first piece is a design by Plumcute Designs. This was one of the free designs in the Buttermilk Basin spring hop. The original design is in a small hoop. I planned on putting mine on a wood heart, but the piece was too big for my heart. So, I went with a simple square pillow and added the saying.

I added a bumpy yarn by using  two strands and gathering it, as I went around to get a full decorative border. I added a cord so I could hang it on my peg rack at the top of the stairs.

This next piece is a free design from the Wool Applique group on Facebook. Trish from Attic Heirlooms is offering the designs and she also offers them on her website, but you have to get them during that month. I am making mine over sized because I will be hanging them on a line with clothespins, for a Christmas garland.

Another project that I have been wanting to do is a Christmas runner with blocks that my friend Lauri sent me. I finally got it into my head, how I should have sewed them to get them even, after I was finished, lol. I do not take things apart, so the uneven edges will stay;)

The middle section is white so I am trying to decide, if I quilt it, how should I quilt it and what design. I wanted to hand stitch it with black threads but not sure if i can do a nice design that way. Or, should I put an appliqué in that section? Would love suggestions.

I bought material to match it, but I wonder if it is too light? What do you think of the border fabric? It is more tan than the middle sections, but I plan on tea staining the piece, so the middle will be darker in the end. I hate to buy more fabric but I could also go with a dark red or green for the border?

Friday Finishes!

This week I got the idea to make a needle felted sheep. I had a pattern that I found online but I got lost when I went to put on the outer fibers for the sheep fleece. I thought the roving I had would work nicely since it was sheep wool, but I ran out and the only other dark color I had, made him look like a bear. And, by mixing the colors, he looks like a bear with mange, lol.

I got him as finished as I could and added a face and of course, he looks a bit comical now, but I am learning and it is fun to experiment. The photo is horrid, I tried all types of light and I could not get a good photo with definition, he really looks better in person and he is so bad that he makes me smile.

And here is a side view outside. Maybe I will try something smaller and simpler, next time and get better at my felting techniques.

Another piece was a design by Debbie of Wooden Spool Designs. I thought it would be a fun little piece for spring. I didn't realize it had a front and a back, so mine is just the backing, but I still like how it came out. I enlarged my backings by 10% to give me a little more room for the design.

And of course today was cleaning day. I like to have everything done so Bill and I can enjoy the weekend, and relax. I was doing laundry and went into the bedroom, turned around and this is what I saw. I am in trouble now, this is the first time he has gotten on the bed and my bed is 36" high, so he is a jumper.

He really hates that the kitties can get up on high places, now he can too. He loves to play and snuggle with Moki and Moki is sweet enough to put up with him. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Monday This and That!

This weekend was a blur, I think the time change has messed me up again. Just when I get used to the fall back, it is time to go forward. I do enjoy the longer days though, and once the snow melts, I can get out for walks with Bean.

I really liked the bunny design and wanted to try it in a different medium, so I went with needle felting. I received some supplies from a friend and have been collecting roving and it is time to start using them. I made an egg shape and used wool felt to felt on. It was fun to do and I learned some things along the way to get better results in my next piece. I may try a felted eyeglass case next, I like the idea of making them for gifts and want to try something artistic with wet felting.

I used a light yellow felt for the backing, and it was nice since I could trace the design onto the felt, to have a guide for felting.

I also made a piece from the Buttermilk Basin hop and another design by Renee Plains, I just need to finish them. I got the idea of cutting around the heart and placing it on a wooden heart, then I found out it doesn't fit, so have to rethink that one. The bird stitchery will go in this frame, I need to do some trimming and get something for the back, then I can frame it.

And guess what I made today? Cookies! I really need my cookies, they are made with oatmeal, brown flour and grated apple. I add a stick of butter, but I figure the good ingredients out weigh the butter, lol. I found a counter top oven this weekend and I had a 30% coupon, so it was a good deal and I can use it now and save it for camping if we get a trailer without an oven.

The bad thing is, I only had the one small pan that it came with, so I could only cook 6 at a time, so it took a few hours to make them, lol.

Friday Finishes!

This week I finished two ornaments that are being offered as a BOM from the Wool Applique Group on Facebook, by Attic Heirlooms. It is a free pattern each month, for just that month and for personal use, so no sharing. You can also download this months ornament which is the mitten, by visiting her website and clicking on BOM. Once the month is over, you cannot get it anymore.

I decided to make mine larger, it is a 5" circle. I wanted it larger to make it easier to sew and I will be having them from the homespun line for next Christmas. This way they will be the perfect size to hang in front of the window and be seen from a distance.

I also received a photo from Merrie of her hooked rug, that she made from my Spring Chicks pattern. I love seeing your finished pieces and Merrie did a beautiful job on her rug, that would be a fun one for the kitchen.

We are expecting a storm, again. I decided it was a good day to make chowder and clambakes, so we got the ingredients today so we wouldn't have to fight the crowds tomorrow. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentines day, whether sharing it with a loved one, a friend or yourself, we all deserve a little love and it is ok to treat yourself to something special tomorrow, because you are loved:)

Friday Finishes and Foibles!

This week I finished my quilted piece. It is a pattern called Live Simply by Cheri Saffiote.
I changed mine to three panels, leaving out the house block. I used walnut ink to antique it and it seems to have settled more in some places, but I like how it came out. It gives it a true stained look, totally unplanned.

I hand quilted it with floss and for the middle sashings, I added my own quilt design. I drew it on with washable marker so it is not perfect, but it was fun doing my own design to match the piece.

Since my daughter bought home new germs for me, I have been out of commission this week. I wanted something fun to do today, so I could sit and rest and decided to make a set of hearts to hang on my homespun garland. What I forgot about is, when you draw the design onto the backing, you need to reverse the letters, duh to me. Luckily the heart and V are fine, so I will redo the other two. I made them  like a crazy quilt and then filling them in with scraps from my floss box. It is something fun and easy to do and can be done quickly. You are welcome to copy the idea to make your own. You can also keep them simple and use up your scrap floss in a hit or miss version.

This and That Monday!

This weekend was cold, way too cold for long walks. It was good weather to get out for some fresh air and play with Bean. I never have to ask twice, if he wants to go out, that is a given, lol. Our young trees finally turned and the winds blew a lot of the leaves on the ground, and Bean loves playing in the leaves.

He seems to lose weight, right before a growth spurt and today he seems a bit taller and  huskier. I use my waterproof camera for photos since it is easier to carry while we play, so not the best quality photos.

It could be all the exercise he gets, he really gets into play and has strong muscles for a pup. I have to be careful that he doesn't hurt himself, since he loves to do high jumps.

I was also able to get some sewing done. I started this quilt, last year and finally put the pieces together. I still need to do some stitchery and add another border so it is lap size. I used a free design and precut blocks that a friend sent me. Now it is a quilt for another friend of ours.

I sewed my punch needle pieces with backings and got them all stuffed. Now I am doing the finishing work with borders and staining on some. The chicken was a bit bright, so I added a touch of stain to tone it down. Unfortunately the flash lightened them back up. I just may finish in time, after all;)

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.

Friday Finishes!

Another slow week, I spent more time thinking about what to do, so I didn't start until later in the week.  One project I started was an old topper that my friend Kelley sent me. She made the top and I added the green edge for the border and binding. I thought the piece had a Christmas look so I can use it for the holidays.

I was going to practice my machine stitching with it, but decided I needed a simple hand project to work on while I do other things. I am using pearl cotton on this one and a simple stitch in the ditch with an X in the middle for the smaller blocks. They are 1 1/2" in size. The larger block is 4 1/2" and I am doing a stitch in the ditch around the edges, then an X and in-between that I am doing a diamond shape pattern. I thought that it would be simple enough and give it a bit of a snowflake look.

The red is a darker red and the materials are a mix of cotton and brushed cotton so it has a nice look on it's own, which means I won't be antiquing it. But you never know with me;)

 Another project I started is a Christmas piece called "Hand the Stockings", by Joann Mullay. My friend Karen has gifted me with her older patterns and I love using them, fun and quick to do. I have all the pieces ready to place and sew.

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;)