A Rail Fence

   Floral rail fence blocks were my stitching project last week.  This pattern is about the only zig-zag pattern I can do now......chevrons make me dizzy usually.  I completed the half dozen blocks needed and then put it all together.
Not a lot of thought to this and it was perfect to keep me busy.  It's 48'' by 60'' right now.....undecided about a border.

  And a small watercolor got sewn.  It needs a border and maybe some applique.  As it is the size is 15'' by 21''.....about the size I have students work on in class.

  I had a couple more emails about patterns for watercolors.  I don't have/sell/provide patterns.  But if you look around at photos, magazines, books.....there are plenty of inspirations.  It is not really possible to capture an exact picture but they do provide a great starting point.

For instructions....visit the pages listed under the blog banner.  I have links to posts for information, and fabric selection.

Visit Whims for watercolor kits and packets of fabric strips.    Since variety of fabrics is needed for one of these projects, I think their strip sets are the way to build up a collection to start.  They are the only place I know for watercolor kits.

  Or the organizing side.....I can now see the floor in the guest room.  Not the bed, just the floor.  I am not sure all the fabric will fit back into the stash closet, so I am taking my time to figure it out.  Who needs guests anyway?
Enjoy this holiday weekend.   Happy stitching.

Bread from the oven

  Well, this has been a long, rough week since the work crew was here to fix our foundation problems.   I was quite stressed Friday as they were working on the sewing room which proved to be the worse.   The back corner of the house sits on solid rock it seems.  I had visions of sliding down the hill, but all is good now.  So I can quit with the nightmares.      A doctor's visit went well....all is fine after the ultra sounds..... a load off my mind.  
  So Saturday began the return things to their place......clothes closet cleaned out and sorted,  moving machines back into the sewing room, and dividing up the books.  Needless to say I over did and had an energy crash.  It is like running into a brick wall and not being able to take another step.  Sunday was the B-12 shot and a slow return to moving again.  That said I am still in the slow long process of restoring things to normal.  It will take me another week probably to get there.

    And........I had a mess with the blog this weekend.  A windows update did me in again I think.  Or maybe a combo of Windows/Google/Blogger did it.  I got signed out or knocked out  of blogger, could not get back in, was assigned a new email address and on and on and on.  I finally figured out how to get signed back in and then got the "fake" email address removed to find that my reading list on the dashboard was gone!  So I know I have missed quite a few blogs as I tried to add ones back in.  Then dear Gene  let me know I had become a "no reply blogger".    So this morning I tracked that down and got it fixed.    All this to say, I may miss some of your posts, but I am working to return to normal soon.....lol.



   And on the bright side, I have a sour dough starter going!  A successful batch it seems.  I decided last week to try once again, since I wasn't able to do much else.  This morning was day 7 and it was very active.  Note:  I started with one bowl.   By day 2 I could tell it was doing well, so instead of discarding the excess, I started a second bowl.   I followed the King Arthur Flour formula to get here.

And here is the first batch---fresh from the oven---- smells so good.  I think it will be a sandwich night for us.
I will put one starter in the refrig and feed it weekly.  The other one will go on the counter for now for a few loaves to share with the neighbors.


  I found my iron this afternoon and plan on getting in the sewing room in the morning for a little while.  I want to at least press the watercolor and rail fence top that I got sewn.  I'll just keep getting back up and won't let these things keep me down.  Life is too short, sew on!  Happy stitching.

Temporary sewing room?

  While the foundation work is going on, I am temporarily sewing in the office.  It is cramped but doable with the Featherweight.   I have Dr. Blake Mysteries and Miss Fischer's Mysteries lined up on youtube  to keep me company.
   I can close the doors into this room, but I still hear the drill, the banging and hammering going on.  My nerves are on edge, but sewing on the rail fence blocks is a distraction.



  I am using the double 4 patch parts as my leader and ender as I am joining rows.  I also have a small water color to sew up.

  Just back from fixing lunch......the house is upside down and furniture from 3 rooms fills the family room.  I have to go around to get to the kitchen.    The sunroom  floor is leveled and the ground is stabilized......what a relief.  I almost started crying.  This afternoon they are working in the master bedroom and bath.......at least we will have a place to sleep.   I have a doctor's appointment in the morning, so that is a small reprieve.
Here's to quiet and happy stitching.

Reflections

  The closet is half empty of the fabric stash.....of course the spare bedroom is a wreck!  But a little each day and we will be prepared for the upset/repairs.   And thanks for all the reasons to buy more fabric.  Blogging friends are such enablers:)
  I still have my machines available for now, so I wanted to finish up the water color throw.    Binding is now on and the label too.





   Reflections  is a small lap throw......48'' by 60''.  It was an experiment and play time for the layout.  I had never tried this type of layout before.
   I began with 14'' square foundation of fusible interfacing.  That means  the block units would be 7 squares (2'') across and down.  Each block unit was shaded and blended individually.  I could have joined the blocks together without the light sashing, but for some reason I preferred the sashing this time.    I added pieced strips of dark florals for the border.

   I do like how the light shimmers across the blocks like dappled sunlight through a tree's branches.

This experiment is done! And I  get to scratch off a project on the to-do list.  That is always satisfying.

Good stuff in small packages

  If you have a treasured Featherweight machine.....read on!
  My machine was a little sluggish when I sewed on her last week.  Then I read a post on Connie's blog, Freemotion by the River.  She shared a couple of items she ordered from the Singer Featherweight Shop.   So I made a visit.

Photo from Singer-Featherweight Shop

  Yes, I need one of those.....an accurate seam guide.


And a new bottle of oil, and some grease.....Sir Old Man will know exactly how to use these two:)

Photo from Singer-Featherweight Shop

Let's see, what else can I find.  An LED light bulb to help me see better for that accurate seam allowance.  Oh, an a replacement thumb screw for the presser foot.  Just little things to help get things running smoother.

  And get this everything comes tied with rick rack!  So cute, and a wonderful touch.

There's even a page called "Schoolhouse".......all information and tutorials and details a FW owner/lover will need.   Be sure to download and print out the page with the oiling details.
And lest I forget.....very quick service with free shipping.  A plus plus for me :)
   Stop by and check things out.
   Sorting, shifting, and moving is on schedule.  I even spent some time cutting and prepping for a future leader and ender project.  I won't be bored next week....just stressed as they lift the foundation of the sewing room.

Thanks for all the enabling for my buying more fabric.  Got to say Catpatches took the cake.  She said, "Life is short.  Buy the fabric."
Happy stitching.

Why do I do this?

  I have to laugh or else I would cry all day.  My plan was to clear out the fabric bins and stuff on the floor of the fabric closet today.  Plan made.  And then I went to guild meeting last night.  I took a small bag of items to Pat for the guild boutique  at the quilt show in the fall.  I returned home with...............

  Seven Fat Quarters!  It was vendor night at guild and I get out so rarely.  Or that was my excuse.  I won't even think about putting them into the closet yet!

  And a pre-printed project to finish for the guild boutique too.  The panels and backing with polyester batt----not sure about that---needs to be finished up.  It is suppose to be done as a door hanging, raw edged and dimensional.   I may turn it into a nicer banner.  The two smaller pieces will make up as cute mug rugs, or maybe a table runner.   They are having workdays once a month to make items to sell.  I don't have the stamina for a day long event, so I brought one home.    LOL, like I have nothing else to do!  But I have a few months to do this, so I should quit whining.

    Then Sarge, our VP, announced Diane Knott would be here next month for lecture and workshop.   She has a new book out....should be good.
Anyway, I am off to clear the closet floor area at least.  And answer text from Cousin Diane.....happy stitching.

The first week of May....

  I have been quiet.  I have been sorting/clearing  things out.  I have done some sewing.  I have done some baking.   I have done some free motion quilting.  I have done some  fabric cutting.   I like reading that list.  It makes me feel I have been productive....especially when I think I haven't.  

  More rail fence blocks sewn.  This one is turning into a very happy feeling quilt.   I debated on playing around with the setting, but I like this just fine.  I don't do a lot of zig-zag settings any more, as that style setting messes up my sensory input and balance.   No chevrons, please.   This is subtle enough I can handle and enjoy it.





I cut more strips to the 6 1/2'' length and sorted them into light, medium light, med to darker, and dark value stacks.   I will sort and pin them into block units and then put them together.  

   I spent a couple of afternoons free motion quilting the water color throw.  I added an extra row of dark floral fabric strips on the outer border area.  It has a better balance now.   I used an all over large swirl for the quilting.   And I love the over all effect of the light flitting across it all.  Now it needs a trim and binding.

   While I was cutting the floral strips for rail fence blocks, I decided to cut  up the extra short lengths into 2 '' squares.  Whoa.....I ended up with a very large box of squares.  Since I am doing another workshop this month, I had planned to use the extra squares for the class packets I give out.    Needless to say, I have more than enough.  So...........I marked a piece of interfacing with some guide lines and designed this small piece with some of the extra squares.  It needs seams sewn......and border, etc. Designing the top is a good tension easing process for me.

  I also did some errands with Sir Old Man.   This time I found the 90'' wide muslin at the J store......but no Heat and Bond Lite at all.   How can brick and mortar stores expect to get my business if they never have regular items in stock.  I hate running around to several stores to find  regular items.  Sir Old Man complains about the same thing at the home improvement places.  So today I hit Amazon for the Heat and Bond....and a couple of other things.

OH....and I added a new page to the blog----Year of Floral Quilts.  So original, but I reference them a lot and figured they deserved their own spot.
Happystitching.