Saturday, September 26, 2020

Slow Sunday Stitching

 Another week has flown by.   Last Sunday we celebrated my youngest grandson John's BD with the immediate family.  We had a nice  BBQ dinner and ice cream cake.  




Last week my youngest grandchildren started school for 3 hours in the morning, and I pick them up and drive them to my other daughter's house where they do their assignments at her house.   This takes up about 2 hours of my time each day, but I get to see everyone briefly.  The older  boys are still doing their classes online.

I did manage to finish up a few projects this week though.

Two blocks for the QAL By the Sea by Partners in Design.  


I also made this Pine Burr block from the Pieces of the Past sewalong by Melva Loves Scraps.  This block took me two days and much ripping out of the Paper pieced blocks.  Not my favorite thing to do!  


I finished this embroidery of this tea towel.



I also finished this embroidery from the Kathy Schmitz One Stitch At a Time Embroidery Club.



What I will be working for Slow Sunday Stitching this week is this freebie from Love & Hugs for Christmas by Marg Low Designs.   



I will be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.    Be sure and hop over there and see what everyone has been up to.  

I have also been extensively working in my garden this week, trying to ready for our hopefully rainy weather one of these days.  We had been enjoying better weather this week in the 80's instead of 90's and 100s.  I have been cleaning up leaves, cutting things back, replacing bark, etc.  I still need to trim some bushes  and clean out the gutters.  Unfortunately our temperatures will be going back up to the 90's and 100 on Wednesday next week. So I will have to get out right after breakfast, before I pick up the grandchildren if I want to accomplish these.  

My Amaranthus has gotten even bigger, I have nothing else to tie it too, so it is sort of bent over now, but still beautiful.


My dahlia has bloomed some more too.



That's all for this week.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Hello Fall Blog Hop

 


Welcome to the first day of the Hello Fall Blog Hop!  I've been excited about this one since Carla @Creatin in the Sticks sent out the invitation.  Many thanks to Carla who organizes the greatest blog hops.

I always look forward to the Fall, and taking down my patriotic quilts and pillows, and getting out my Fall themed ones.  I love the colors of Fall, I love to collect pumpkins, ceramic and otherwise and I am always tempted by Fall projects.  I don't know if it is because I have an October birthday, but it is one of my favorite times of year!  











I've always liked this simple, easy tea towel, and decided to make another for the Hello Fall Blog Hop.





They look pretty good together, though my oldest daughter has laid claim to the new one!



My second project, I wanted to make a bench pillow, I thought I bought one, but it wasn't really a bench pillow size, a lot smaller.  I designed this cushion.  Somehow I ended up misfiguring what I needed for a border and doubled it.  I really only needed one row of HST's.   I really didn't want to take all that stitching of the last row around out, so it ended up being the size of a small bed pillow.  I love it anyway despite my bad math!





Thanks so much for stopping by.  I have included the whole program for Hello Fall Blog Hop below, be sure and check the others blogs out too!




Monday, September 21st


Tuesday, September 22nd
Wednesday, September 23rd
Thursday, September 24th

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Hand Quilt Along, Slow Sunday Stitching

It is hard to believe another 3 weeks have passed, and time to check in for the Hand Quilt Along.  Three weeks ago I was working on this embroidery on a tea towel, and haven't gotten that much further.   I was here 3 weeks ago.



I've been working on other handwork, and am here right now.


Today I traced out a bunch of more designs to embroider.  Two from the Kathy Schmitz One Stitch at a Time Club.



The fruit bowl with the squirrel was a freebie this month.

This one was a freebie  from Love & Hugs for Christmas by Marg Low Designs.



This week I also finished hand quilting my little Halloween quilt that was a stitch along on the Quilts by Cheri Friendship Group on Facebook.  



So until I get my Ella Maria Duncan blocks prepped for applique this week, I will have lots of stitching to keep me busy.  Be sure and visit others in this hand quilting group at the links below.

Hand Quilt Along Links


This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

KathyMargaret, TracyDebSusan,  Nanette,  EdithSharonKarrinGretchenDaisyConnieMonica and Sherrie

I will also be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.    Head on over there and check out everyone's projects.  My favorite thing to do on Sundays.  

This week I have stitched out this weeks motifs for the Free Motion Academy class I am taking with HollyAnne Knight.  I stitched out the woodgrain design on a pillow cover for my grandson John's BD next week.   The other I just practiced on muslin.




Also remember Monday is the start of the Hello Fall Blog Hop that also happens to be my day.

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Slow Sunday Stitching

Another busy week has passed.  Recently I signed up for the Free Motion Quilting class @String and Story with HollyAnne Knight.  I took this test recently to find out what FMQ motif I was.  You can click the link, and get a free lesson into how to make the motif.  I took the test before and the result was a wishbone, but I mishit a couple of questions so I retook it.  I love making pebbles.




The first class was this week, and these are my practice pieces.  I'm still getting the hang of swirls, and getting the tension right.




Last week I also finished Cassandra's Circle block by Barbara Brackman @Civil War Quilts.  



I also I was able to finish a block for the private Christmas BOM I am in.



For Slow Sunday Stitching this week I will be working on this piece.  I need to stitch down the wool pieces.  It is a stitch along I am doing on the Facebook group Quilts by Cheri Friendship Group.  This was designed by Marian Edwards.


I'll be linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts.  Head on over there and check out what everyone else is working on.  It's my favorite thing to do on Sundays.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Saturday, September 05, 2020

Slow Sunday Stitching

Another week has come and gone.  I can't say I have gotten a lot accomplished this week, especially sewing with my machine, although I have several things I need to be working on.

I have been feeling somewhat "off", lost my mojo.  I hope I find it again soon.  I have read several books.  My husband and I had been watching "The Outsider" on HBO I think it was, based on the Stephen King novel.  With my hearing difficulties, I sometimes have trouble hearing, especially women's voices.  I have tinnitus in both my ears, hearing loss, and and have hearing aids, but sometimes even those aren't enough to distinguish voices,  Anyway I decided to download the book, and I ended up reading that several days, and several other books.

What I did work on this week were the Ella Maria Deacon blocks for August.  The bottom left one I think I am going to do over.  It has pleats, and doesn't meet in one section so there is a big pleat .  I tried EPP'ing this, and couldn't figure out how it went together.  So I cut it out again, and hand pieced it.  That is this version.  It is also 1/2 too small.  I am going to set it aside for now, and maybe try appliquing it on the background, or maybe reverse applique.  Any suggestions?



What I plan to work on this week for Slow Sunday Stitching is my Cassandra's Circle block for August.  I have it all prepped for applique.   It's called Cotton Boll.



What has made me smile this week, is my Amaranthus.  It is almost 5 feet tall now.  I had to tie it to the fence it has gotten so big.   A friend gave me the original plant years ago, and each year it seems to reseed itself.   This is the biggest one yet.  I'm glad it ended up close to the fence so I could have something to attach it to! 



Thanks for stopping by!  I will be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.  Head on over and check out what everyone has been up to.   I love this weekly motivation! 

Wednesday, September 02, 2020

One Monthly Goal-September



Time to link up at Elm Street Quilts  for One Monthly Goal for September.  I continue to greatly appreciate this monthly motivation, and continue to thank Patty for all she does!

My monthly goal for September is to make and quilt baby quilt for my daughter's good friend who is due in October.  It will involve sailboats and sea creatures with my Accuquilt dies.


Nothing has been started yet.

If you want to join in on the fun, and a chance for a drawing for one of the great prizes Patty has rounded up, go to Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal link-up.

Thanks for stopping by!


350 Blocks Project, August Report




The goal for August was 30 blocks, and I got 17 done.

Christmas BOM:    1 block


Cassandra's Circle:  1 block.  This is Barbara Brackman's free applique BOM for 2020 at Civil War Quilts.  



QAL by the Sea:  4 blocks.  This is a free BOM by Partners in Design.  


Pieces from the Past Sew Along @ Melva Loves Scraps.  2 blocks.






Ella Maria Duncan:  6 blocks.  This is a BOM from Sentimental Stitches.  







Tea Towel stitching:  1 block.  This is the second one of this design I have done.  



Cheri Payne Fall SAL:  2 blocks.  This is being done on the Quilts by Cheri Friendship Group on Facebook.