Block Printing - Hand Stitching 

I don't do a lot of Hand Stitching but whenever I do I find it So Relaxing.

Late last year I did some Fabric Stamping on some plain canvas Bags and Zip Pouches I bought from Amazon

Block Printing 

The Fabric Stamping itself was very easy and fun to do.

I have quite a good selection of Wooden Stamps

Most from Colouricious

And I used some of the Stamped Bags as Gift Bags at Christmas.

The little zipper pouches have come in useful over the last few weeks as storage for my Little Janome Gem ...

I woke up to a temperature of -28C windchill outside yesterday but the good news is it quickly warmed up to -12 but that means one thing here...snow. Yes, we got a mini snowstorm with a freezing drizzle warning for the afternoon. I'd had plans to go out for a grocery shop but that had been postponed till later. The forecast is for more of the same today. Meanwhile, we are hunkering down by the fire, well Tony is. For me, as soon as I post this, put away the darks laundry, tote another load of wood up ...

I am on vacation and have taken a redwork embroidery project with me.  I’m embroidering cotton dishtowels with kitchen utensil themed designs.  

I finished one quite a while ago, and have finished two more while on this trip.  Here are pictures of all three:  (excuse the wrinkles, we are in a motel and I am not ironing them here)

Good Morning Quilters!

It had only 4 leaves, which made it much easier ...

I'm amused watching this small turkey flock trot through the front yard. The male is displaying constantly and looking so special. 

What a great gift! My sister always hits the mark with the books she gives me. 

 Good Morning Quilters!

I’ve been sick with congestion and a sore throat, so this week has been a “stay at home and keep my germs to myself” kind of week.  I have been busy in the quilt room though.  The long term redwork quilt is now bound, and ready for a label.  The quilting by Sue Daurio, was simple diamonds, in keeping with the style of old redwork quilts.  I am very happy with how it turned out.  It measures 93 inches square and I am so happy to have this long in process UFO completed.  

 For my American friends who are thinking about their Great American Thanksgiving...having a very long neck is very useful.

I started blocks for a Redwork quilt many, many years ago. I am embarrassed to say how long. Of course, we all have unfinished projects, and this is definitely one of mine. The pattern is children on the beach titled at the seashore by Marytime design. I chose a variety of white-on-white fabrics for the […]

 Another blast of humidity this week make us so happy that autumn is just in the wings now. Here are more of the Zinnia blooms with their starry stamens. They are annuals but very long lasting once in flower.

Not a great photo but I liked this capture of the female Cardinal sharing nicely with a Redbreasted Nuthatch. Though she appears to be giving him the eye, they were there together with the Nuthatch going back and forth, for quite a while. 

 Old and still beautiful Day Lily and very young Maple tree...

There's a reason cups of tea/coffee are often shown with a backdrop of a cozy quilt/stitching in hoop or/yarn and hook, etc. Our comforts for mind and body are important to us. I honestly don't know what I would do without mine. I also love reading about yours as I think you all know by now.

As you know I also love nothing better than a good poke about in a flea market/thrift store where I challenge myself to see what I can ...

 I shared a photo of the vines that grew so well in winter inside the house a while back. Here they are still alive and well outside all summer. I had put a few seeds in soil just to see what would happen knowing that, while I had no success growing pumpkins, I loved the leaves and these, whatever they are, look so pretty. A very tiny critter also loves them as there are little nibbles taken in some of  them.

Poppy
June 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

UFOs have been getting finished here at a fast pace this January!  The cheddar/black fall quilt has its solid black borders attached, and is ready for the long arm quilter.  Here is a picture of it:

Nine blocks by nine blocks which finish at eight inches each.  Borders finish at six inches, making the quilt top 84” by 84” square.

The redwork quilt top has been completed and is ready for quilting.  I am still thinking about the plan to quilt this one…….minimally for sure.

I looked at the corners I created and decided to ...

 Good Morning Quilters!

This is a happy day!  My long time UFO of redwork squares is a completed quilt top!  I finished the last corner embroidery yesterday.  

Here are some pictures. My blocks finish at 10 inches square and there are 8 across and 8 down, with borders that each finish at 7 inches.  So the quilt will be 94” by 94”.  Benjamin Biggs Wedding quilt is on the design wall, so these pictures are taken with it on the floor.  I will post a picture of all of it when it is a completed quilt.

I am thinking I ...

I've been busy doing everything but blogging. Out attempting walks with the camera in spite of all kinds of weather, baking muffins, embroidering, reading, listening to podcasts while putting together a jigsaw puzzle. It has been a peaceful, satisfying and relaxing welcome to a new year. Along the way I found two garbage bags of "stuff" to give to the Value Village.  So a little cleanout felt good too.

I decided to cook a turkey last week just so we could have a turkey dinner here at the wooden house and enjoy lots of leftovers too. A turkey is ...

 Good Morning Quilters!

There is progress on three quilts this week.

The Cheddar/black UFO quilt is back up on the design wall, and the hsts that were packed away with it didn’t work out as a border.  It made the quilt “busier” than it already is, and I think it’s plenty busy enough.  I changed my mind and am going to add a simple black solid border and be done with it.  As a quilt maker, I have a right to change my mind….several times, in this case.  lol

Here is a picture of my audition ...

 Weekly goals - 1st week in January, 2023

1).  Red work “penny squares” quilt top:

     A).  Sew borders on the redwork quilt.

     B)  Draw up the design for the four corners on this same quilt.

     C). Work on hand embroidery of redwork to complete borders.

2)   Make one block for the B.Biggs quilt (3rd row #2 block)

3)   UFO plan:  Put a project on the design wall and start sewing blocks into rows..

I’m sharing goals with the linky party “To Do Tuesday” this year, (Here) in a plan to be accountable to other quilters each week.  I shall ...

 Good Morning Quilters!

2023 is here, and with it comes new hope and encouragement about completing UFOs.  My thoughts on approaching challenges in 2023 is:

Simplify and Innovate  Treat everyone (including self) with kindness.

2022 was a year of finishing so many of my UFOs, and making great progress on others.  It was a great encouagement for me to see some finishes.  Last week, I counted up the remaining boxes of UFO projects, and it is still a daunting list.  But since great progress was made last year, great progress can be made this year too!

 I know, I know ...