Shed decor!

 

 

   Yep, Sir Old Man came thru in time, actually ahead of time for the birthday gift.   Mr. Red Cardinal was painted and sealed from the weather for his permanent location.  

  I tried not to nag or pester him to get it installed.  I was really patient, or at least I pretended to be.  

  The barn sign was added to the newly painted garden shed.  The perfect finishing touch to add a bit of a bright spot to the shed.  I love glancing thru the window of the sun room or the sewing room and seeing the bright red.  Makes me smile.

   No current finish to share, but these are a few of the wall hangings I shared with my Bible study group today.  And spent time telling the stories that went with them.  

  

   

    I also shared this one...Higher Hope. 

I love the jewel tones and how rich the colors become like stained glass in a cathedral.   And it is time to rehang it in the sunroom, as I love the full colors in it during the winter months.  

  
  I put aside the collage piece as I was frustrated with it.  Maybe in a month or two I will try again.  I have the continuing leader and ender blocks to sew and the latest watercolor is pressed.  Enough for now.  Happy stitching.

Seasons changing

 

  The last of the autumn leaves and the first Christmas wreath to go up on the day after Thanksgiving.  That's a good mix.

  The shed turned out very nice after Sir Old Man finished up the painting and trim repair.  I have a request in for a barn quilt sign to hang on the left hand side of the window.  With a birthday and Christmas coming up fast, I hope he can get it made for me. :)

Our weather for the last month has been full of wet and rainy days, and multiple low pressure systems, so my time in the sewing room has been short. 

 

  Instead of cutting or piecing, I used up some squares already cut for a new watercolor design.  A transitional design maybe that is in direct opposite values. 

   I normally could pull this project together in a few days.....ha!  Over the course of a month, I have it to the just sewn and pressed stage.   Such is life now....slower, much slower.      I am hoping to get this and the spool top prepared for quilting soon....very soon.   

  The Easy Breezy blocks are languishing in a project box.  So I may need to work a bit on them as well as the hourglass blocks.   

                                                  

I attempted a collage project after an on line class.  It looks good here.....but those tiny pieces are just fused and there is probably no way to really secure them by machine.   Finishing this one as a fused project, not sewn, just for a test is probably the path I will take.  If I have a wall hanging, I want to be able to wash it at some point.  But I picked up some tips and pointers, so I count it as good.  Collage is fun, but probably too tiny and fussy for me to do much with it.  

  And that has pretty much been my month!  Facing December which starts the round of labs and doctors visits.....fun.  Until later, happy stitching.

Three pincushions

  Three pincushions done!  They are quite addictive, as there are so many variations to explore.  The long style on the right is strip pieced with batik scraps and added a couple of pieces of lace.
  The daisy trim one on the left turned out so pretty.  The rose motif was from a bridal lace I was given.  And the one on the bottom features a section of a lace collar for a young girl's dress. 

  I have more to fill and finish up but this morning was devoted to clearing off table tops in the sewing room.  Stacks of bits and pieces to put away, but all is now cleared and sorted. 








 
 The heat is relentless and the humidity is thick and heavy.  Much too hot to even sit outside. 
  Sir Old Man came home with a surprise after a trip to Ace Hardware.  We added  it--- small flag with a special symbol---to the back walk by the Japanese Maple.  It's like the one shady spot near the house and can be seen from the  back patio.

  Stay cool.  Stay safe.
happy stitching. 

More of those circles

   A quick glance at my project list and plans for the month shows I have been moving right along.  This list was begun in mid-December and just carried over to January.  The last 2 things for the month concern  the rest of the circles and 9 patch blocks.








  The remaining circles went up onto the design wall and I shifted and played around with the lay out for a day or so.    You have to let things simmer sometimes to be sure of what you want.  It helped that I came down with a stomach virus and couldn't do much of anything, too :)

   This photo shows that I have a couple of sections joined.....note the layout used.  I resorted to my original staggered layout for a couple of reasons.  I have 3 sizes of circles because of the size of scraps I used.  The mixed sizes--big, small and in-between-- looked a little "off" to me when laid out in regular rows.   I had a lot of "half circles" already made for the ends and I did not want to waste them.  And finally, less precise matching was less stressful for me.  Or that's my story and I am sticking to it.   I have a few more rows of circles to join, and then a decision on borders.

  In the midst of sewing rows and sections of circles  together, 9 patch blocks marched on.   My stack of strip units have turned into great little 9 patch blocks and total about 80 to date.   This will be up next to decide on finally layout and such.






   Bread.....my sourdough flopped and the starter died.  The 2 loaves I made were awful and Sir Old Man put them in the back yard for the deer/birds/wildlife.   The starter requires a lot of  patience and maintenance to get going.   I resorted to my favorite recipe for herb bread and made a nice loaf.




To share......
   If you are interested in making a few or a lot of blocks for the Women of the Bible quilt/sew alongs that are going on  check out this source.   Quilter's Garden quilt show is sharing blocks on their website and the info will be available for only 2 weeks.  So download while you can, and be sure to sign up for the newsletter to keep up to date with the blocks and info.  Thanks to Cheryl at Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting blog for sharing this.

 

  And this is my positive note for the week.  A friend who recently lost her husband shared this on FB.  It seems someone else understands my obsession with those red birds, aka cardinals.
They are reassuring signs of hope for me and always seem to pop up when I get low.  Just like the notes and comments from old and new followers, a few words lift my spirits when I seem to be struggling with the frustrations of the situation.    Thank you all.
  It has warmed up here for a few days after sleet, freezing rain and snow of last weekend.  I intend to bask in its glow for a little while today, before I finish up those circles.  Happy stitching.  

Celebrate #100!

100 circles......I am staying on track....with a little help.

   I borrowed this idea from Liniecat.....A selvedge edge circle.   Since I don't save them, I had to dig through the trash can, but I found a few to stitch together.  They are simply overlapped and stitched to get a section large enough for a circle.  Just fun to include.

  You know temperatures are warmer and Spring is near when the robins are busy pecking in the yard for those yummy worms and such.  I sat on the front porch for a while just enjoying their antics.

 
  Other circles of the week....the one in the left corner I will call my "Mary Jo's circle".   This fabric was part of a mystery quilt I was working on a few years back.   And naturally, the directions were wrong and I needed more of it.  Sir Old Man graciously drove me to Mary Jo's in Gastonia.  It is  a quilter's delight and staple shopping experience here in the Carolinas.   Anyway, we got there, and the fabric was sold out.  But Mary Jo's is known for helping.....they ordered a bolt so I could get the extra yardage.   I only have a small amount left, so I needed to remember that trip!

And for that special circle.......it is number 100!  Not made by me, but by Pat at Amity Quilter.  I saw this cardinal on her blog last week, and  said "I want that block".  Isn't the color beautiful!  She said sure and put it in the mail to me!  
 
   Only a blogger friend will give you the block off her design wall.   The rest of the story is she was in need of some extra blue fabric to finish her husband's quilt, which luckily I could offer in return.  Plus, I claim the cardinal as my sign of hope.  I often hide a cardinal among the foliage in my watercolor quilts, as well as include a cardinal graphic on my labels.
  Happy stitching.


   

A Handmade Christmas Challenge

  While I haven't been very good at creating through out the year, I did make a few items to share for the Handmade Christmas Challenge at SewCalGal's blog. 
  Thanks for hosting this Challenge.  Hope everyone will visit all the entries and find some inspiration for your handmade Christmas projects.

    Recycled denim to market bags.....I couldn't bear to just trash a large piece of heavy weight denim. So in August/September, it turned into a trio of gift bags that can be used as a market bag.  I plan to fill each with homemade baked goodies for a few neighbors.
   A  folded piece of chili pepper fabric was used to finish off the top edge and canvas strip handles made these quick projects.

  I did a lot better in the decor department.....as it was time to do a little up-dating around here.  My love of cardinals is documented fact.....and the secret word is there is a cardinal hidden on each quilt I make.  (Always be sure to check the labels  :).    Anyway, this little table topper is called A Cardinal Sings.  Four string blocks create the background, fused applique, machine stitching, and more strings for the top and bottom borders.

 
  By mid-month I was still on the red kick!  I was inspired by a pin on Pinterest .  My version is appliqued instead of thread painted, and bold red for lots of zing!  The ornament shapes were found in EQ7 for this one.  Size is 12" by 24".....just right for the back of a door.











  The adventure continued  as I could not get the blue version out of my head.  Fabric selection actually took a couple of days.....and a quick trip to the LQS.    Here's my description of Winter Baubles in blue from my original post.

   Winter Baubles tells the story in the colors captured here.  There  are the  bright blues of the winter sky, the shadows of blue on snow covered paths,  the watery blues of sunlight reflected off the ice in the birdbath, and the darkest blue of night.  Like colored glass hung in a window to catch the streaming light, the baubles hang against a cloud of white. 

  This version could hang all through the holiday season and on into winter.  One or two baubles would work great on a mug rug.....a horizontal row would make a mantle banner or table runner.......a bauble or two appliqued to a tote bag....I better stop before I get that creative fever again!
Wishing you all a bright season of inspiration.....and happy stitching.

Seeing Red

Seeing red, in this case, is not a bad thing.  I just seem to have a color fixation on red this week.  Both my small projects were heavy on the red and white.....then a red binding  and I am seeing red.

A Cardinal Sings

  

Christmas Baubles

   Sir Old Man was gracious today and took me to my favorite quilt shop while running errands......we found some white background fabric, a few reds in this particular shade, and a couple of cool blues.  I am quite taken with this project, so a blue one is up next.....but I may do another larger one in red  :)

And.....I ran across this project that could be the original inspiration source. 

It's from BabyLock website, an embroidered (by machine) small wall hanging.  So you lucky gals with the embroidery machines could do your own version.  

I have fabric to wash....then happy stitching.

A Winter View

   When I first saw this pattern in a magazine several years ago, I was struck by the  strong graphic effect of the trees against the white.  It is not my usual style of quilt, but the cardinals were the deciding element for me.    I claimed the cardinal as my symbol of hope a few years ago, and  put one on every quilt I make.

  Originally I had planned to add some applique in the outer border.  I thought twigs and berries.  But when I laid the first part of the applique on the quilt,  I quickly changed my thought.  I felt the applique only drew attention away and changed the graphic effect.   Instead I added a couple more cardinals to the branches.

  The actual construction was simple enough....it was getting the tree branch angles sections lined up that drove me crazy at first.  I had to trim down a couple of them, making the branch section a tiny bit narrower than intended.  I just added a narrow filler strip of white on the ends to get the correct width for the row.  And you would never have known, would you.

   And swirls----swirling snow, wintery winds---soften the stark white background.  Some swirls for free motion quilting that is not too dense, yet creates movement and texture.   Actually, the white background is a mix of several white on white fabrics.  I finally used up my stash of those and had to finish off with solid white.
 









   In 2010, we had a huge snow storm.  The bright red cardinals are always so stunning to see perched on the branches of our wild cherry tree.    So I am calling this quilt, A Winter View.












 
       And that's the saga of my  tree quilt.   I heard from several of you who are planning or working on this one.   So before the snow flies and the cold winds blow, get going!  I look forward to seeing them.

Update note:   This pattern is from 2009, I believe.  It is available in a newly released book called Quilting in Black and White.  

   I am finishing up a slight detour from the strings....yet it includes a few strings too.  I needed a little table topper for the season change.
Happy stitching.

Update on colorful strings

   A few more blocks added to the string collection.  A comment from Janet at Rogue Quilter    on these blocks gave me a working name for this quilt......Faceted Jewels.   I think it's a perfect fit.... thank you, Janet.
   I have the rest of the planned blocks marked with the colors.    I think the strings have been multiplying again and I am sure I will need to make this one bigger.  Since the blocks go together quickly, that's not a bad thing after all.
  So this is my NewFO for the September linky Party  at  Cat Patches.

   And a finish....well, almost finished.  The sleeve needs to be tacked down.  Here's a quick look at the trees and cardinals quilt.  It is not named yet....but the quilting turned out really great on this.  I love the texture it created.  i will be getting some more photos to share.  Till then, happy quilting.
   

Hiding

   Family weekend  was fun, even if we were inside due to the wet weather.  I  remember playing hide and seek, when we were small.  So the young ones entertained themselves with a game for a while.   We might not have found Remy, if it were not for that foot.....
He is just the perfect size to slip under the quilts on the quilt ladder.



 



I wasn't able to decide on which of the Pat Sloan patterns to use for the sewing machine cover.....so I used parts of my favorite two.

Of course, I could not resist the cardinals.  This pair had to be on one side.   I love the patterns....big pieces for a change.  Not those half inch bits that get lost before I can fuse them.  Second good thing is a full size layout  that is included.

Here's a better photo of the quilting.
 I mixed up the quilting stitches by using close swirls and stacked teardrops on this side.











The other half of the cover is done with the pair of purple cone flowers.  I used mainly meandering loops---have to get back in practice---and a few leaves thrown in.  

The cover is really just a rectangle with straps ( hook and loop tape)  on  the side  to hold it in place.  With that high bar thread guide, I had to figure out a way to avoid it, and this works fine.  And I get two "views" this way.
Happy stitching.

A new addition

  I love pen and ink style art work.  The one on the left was done by my daughter of the window in the cottage where her Grandfather grew up in Philadelphia.  The top one is of  The Chapel on the Hill at Copper Center, Alaska where my husband's parents were first stationed.  The tree is a winter view of an oak---it is actually a photograph---that we bought on a trip to Virginia.  And the newest addition arrived yesterday.  Here is it's story....
   Last month I read a blog post on The Quilt Rat  about a project Jill was collecting items for, including a thrift store wool coat , threads, and beads.  I was intrigued with her re-cycling idea and offered Jill some antique silk threads that I have had stored away for years.  And that began a series of emails and a trade.
  So what did I want in exchange?  A zentangle from her hand.  Do  click over and see her collection.

    I think it is exquisite!  So perfect for me as the cardinal is my chosen symbol of hope.  I love that she chose to include the swirled branch, as well as the other swirls, which is my favorite motif for free motion quilting.  I just can't stop looking at it and admiring the detail.    Thank you, Jill.  

Happy stitching.

A little hope in the mail

  Have you ever been so busy,  involved in a project, just going on adrenaline, that you hit the wall and wonder how to finish?  It is day 14 and I am almost out of steam.  And just when you need it most a little something comes along and lifts you up.............for me, it was a doll quilt top.

  This arrived from Mrs. Claus in California .  A cardinal featured on this one!  A cardinal....my heart lifted when I saw it.....is my personal symbol of hope.  It reminds me to cherish all the things in life.   I use a cardinal in my quilts, either on the front or back.  It symbolizes the gift of my heart and who I want to be...energetic, one who loves life, and helps others when I can.  Even in the darkest of times, there is hope.  

  So thank you, Teresa, for giving me a lift.

The stack is higher....it reminds me of the "Princess and the Pea" fairy tale!  New quilts added from Mrs. Claus Quiltnanny and  Mrs. Claus City/Sandie from the HGTV Quilt Message Board.  Thank you so much.  And a big hug and thank you to Mrs. Claus from Gray Court that spent the afternoon with me yesterday finishing up the dozen tops in the workroom. 

  Happy stitching.

A snowy Christmas evening and Hope

The snow began late in the afternoon, and the family decided to head out early to get home before the heavy fall began.  So after everything was cleaned up, I got some stitching time in.  I was able to finish up my latest wall hanging, Hope, with the thread painted cardinal.   Again it's a
 watercolor.....what else would you expect?  This scene reminds me of the view from my sewing room, too.
  The  process for the border quilting:
I used the border area to practice free motion quilting in the "mctavishing style".   Wendy at Ivory Spring  has a great tutorial on her domesticated  mctavishing that I tried to follow. Follow the link and check out her blog.  She does wonderful quilting and designing too.   My "s" shape is a bit different than hers,  like a signature she explains.  The s shape is stacked and then repeated and filled in to create wonderful texture.  I used Isacord thread for the machine quilting.  Here are a couple of photos to show it close up. 

The watercolor center of this was quilted with a large meandering stitch.

  New year approaching, and that means new projects......first on the list is a quilt for Justin, who will be graduating from Clemson in May.  He brought me a photo of a quilt he wants.  It is just large squares--which will give me lots of room to use different quilting patterns---with a pointed triangle edge.  I am still working out the edge....I think I will have to face it rather than binding it.   More on that later.  Happy stitching.

A box of goodies!

The postman brought a box of goodies from Doreen.  She browses yard sales and discount stores all the time.  You never know what she will find.  A movie, a wine book and recipes, a garden apron and t-shirt, ear rings, and a notepad decorated with birds, and a knitting book and pins for Deana!  A great friend and great gifts.....after 40 years, she still "one ups" me! 



I got the cardinal attached to the watercolor and the border added......but something is not quite right.

I did not add an inset piece before the border because I planned to have the pine boughs fall into the border.  And that bothers me.  So after looking at him for a day or so, I thought I would try some braided cording that I have had for a long time.

I just pinned up some of it to get an idea about how it will look.  The cording is a purplish-brown that is almost the color of the pine branch.  I think I can twist together 2 or 3 strands of it together and zigzag stitch it around the center.....very loose, almost like a twisted vine.  That should create the frame effect I like.  

"Baby, it's cold outside", so I am doing some baking to warm the house!  We had a bit of sleet last night and only a high of 30 today.  Not the kind of temps we like around here.  Must be hot chocolate time....happy stitching.