A New Start & 2 WIP's

Melicent Turner

Little House Needleworks

30 ct R & R Olde Towne Blende

Called for Crescent Colour threads

 

This is one of my WIP's for 2013.  This is the first time I have picked her up since January.  She will be a fast stitch if I can get serious.  But I am being pulled in several directions as you will see below. :)

Potato Chip Scarf

NORO yarn

 

A new start!  I'll bet you aren't surprised that I choose pink. This was the program last Saturday at my local EGA guild.  Since my LYS closed last year, I gave up trying to expand my knitting skills (which are very few).  But this program was proposed and with a little help from my EGA friends I am on my way.  Who would believe that something as simple as casting on had escaped my brain?  Uh, me!

 

I'd like to share a little story with you.

 

 I took a beginner's quilting class in 1988.  The above book was our project book.   I handstitched all 24 blocks and was taught to attach sashing, then batting and backing, then quilt each block separately. Finally attach the blocks to each other.  As you can imagine the backing had to be folded over and slipstitched together. 

 

After I had attached my first 2 blocks together, my mother came to visit.  Yes, my mother, the over-the-top prolific quilter!  She looked at it and said "What is this?  I told her that this was the way the teacher in my class was showing us to quilt.  After a long pause, Mom said "I've never seen anything like this before."  She wasn't being unkind, just puzzled.  Well, that was all it took for me to put this away in a box under my bed and leave it there until this last week! 

 

What caused me to finally work up enough courage to pull it out? I think it was completing my 2nd beginner's class last year.  After studying what was already finished in the box, I couldn't bear throwing away all that handwork.  So I frogged a whole lot of hand quilting to get back to separate blocks and tossed old polyester batting.

 

Then I decided that I hated the fabric used for sashing (and border fabrics too), so I frogged all the sashing off and picked out new fabric.  Finally I'm ready to start making a quilt top .  Here is a little peek of some of my blocks below.  (I forgot to take a picture before I started)

 

 Luckily I kept all the extra fabric I used in the blocks.  I might get a narrow border out of one. And some small blocks for part of the sashing out of another. 

Does anybody else have a really old project under their bed or in a cupboard?  Come on and share it !

A New Start and a Giveaway Win

Birds of a Feather

Birds and Bees Birth Sampler

28 ct LL Buttercream

Called for DMC and GAST threads

 

Here is my start on the sampler for the new grandbaby coming in September.  Since the last baby sampler was done round-robin style with my daughters, I decided to ask them to do round robin again this time.  They said yes.  As soon as the border comes together properly I will be ready to pass it on.  I'll keep you posted with the progress.

I was thrilled to find out I won the giveaway from Annette at California Stitcher!   It arrived safe and sound and Annette included some wonderful little extras along with the LHN Around the World in 80 Days and the fabric and threads to stitch it.  I kept the chocolate hidden until I got the photo taken :) Love, love, love that project bag--(Annette, you should sell these) It is fully lined and the workmanship is just lovely.  Thank you so much, Annette!

 

I noticed I am getting close to 400 followers.  A giveaway is called for when that magic number is reached.

Another 2013 Finish!

Scarlet Letter

Mary Ann Hutton

36 ct cream linen

Mix of called for DMC and Soie d'Alger threads

 

I have been stitching like crazy on this sampler.  She has been so much fun and hard to put down!  Technically there is a plain 3 color border outside the beautiful flower border.  But, in the picture on the pattern, the border is nearly invisible.   So I am happy with it "as-is"  Is that cheating?

 

I got a package in the mail on Saturday-

It was from Clare in New Zealand.  She is Craftylady in Kiwiland.  She was so kind to help me out with a magazine pattern I have been looking for with no luck.  And look what else--a surprise!

Clare made me a project roll and a small project bag.  Miss Trenner's Needlework Academy pieces fit right into this roll and the threads & misc will fit perfectly in the bag!  And the workmanship is just beautiful!  Thanks so much, Clare!

Another Finish, SAL Update & Progress

Sarah Seifer

The Goode Huswife

28 ct mystery linen

Called for DMC threads

Another one that was too fun to stop stitching on!  I did change the border slightly. It is not framed, just laid under the frame I have chosen.

I had 3 Sarah's that I wanted to stitch. Last year I stitched Sarah Salter.  Next year Sarah Esch will be the final one on the Sarah list.

2013 SAL de Maryse

Chocolate/cherry mystery linen

Gloriana Fresh Snow silk thread

The April segment is done.  Slightly crooked because I have it stretched crooked on stretcher bars.  The color is much darker than the washed-out look is showing.

 

 Lorrie over at A Stitcher's Snippets, sent me this wonderful sampler to stitch for the new grandbaby coming this fall.  Thank you, Lorrie!  I am already pulling together the linen and threads.

 

 

 

But with the long list of projects I wanted to finish this year, one of them had to go.  Bye, bye, Happy Couple

 

My Millenium scroll frame has arrived!  Typically I don't care for scroll rods.  I don't like  basting the linen onto the tabs.  I don't like the loosy-goosy side edges of the fabric.  
But I saw Nicola's video on the Scarlet Letter blogs and it convinced me to give the Millenium scrolls a try.  I even ordered 2 extra lengths of rods-the 16" and the 27"

Here is Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow on the standard 20" rods that come with the 8-10" stretchers. It took a little bit of fiddling and pausing to re-watch the video when I went to use it for the first time. The fabric was loosened when I finished stitching on it, so it's not taut in this photo.  But, so far, so good--it is a keeper.

Without the stand I have to lay one corner of the rods against the edge of my Lowery stand in order to stitch. But the stand is on order and should be here sometime soon.