SAL: Trick or Treat Update #3

I am always amazed how 3 week intervals for posting our progress arrives so quickly. So here we are, mid summer, with another chance to show our progress. You may remember at our last posting I was unhappy with the look of my piece. Checking the directions I realized I had read the directions wrong. Then I thought this may have been a needlepoint project. In fact I am still not sure about this piece.

Having used a single strand of black floss, I went back over the black with another strand of floss. I think it really made the difference. (It was a b**** to do) I left the yellow a single strand . The dark brown is a mix of single and double floss which I am going to leave for now. I am hoping it may give a shadowing effect when finished. I can go over it later if I need to. Here’s a look at the improved and some welcomed progress.

Before & After

 

This SAL is hosted by Avis. We post our progress on our hand stitching projects every three weeks. Please click on the links below to see what everyone else has been working on.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ, Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Christmas In July

It’s time for a little Christmas in July and an update on what has been keeping me busy. I had already posted these 2 projects but am adding to my stockpile for gift giving ….

I finished 2 more dish towels

There will be no shortage of reindeer for Santa

And this sweet old world Kringle will add some sparkle to a kitchen

But lets remember to always spread Joy

I have a few more towels stamped and ready to start but I also have this sweet little scene to stitch up along with one more holiday card.

 

There has been no shortage of projects to work on during this sheltering in place business. I have been participating in 2 craft alongs 🙂 a hand quilt along (HQAL) and a stitch along (SAL) Both post at 3 week intervals, the progress on our projects. It’s been a great way to get lots done with the encouragement of others – that accountability that keeps you on track. I think the best part has been the friendships with other crafters from around the world that have formed. Certainly, for me, it has been a way to really stay positive and uplifted and in communication with so many wonderful people.

Please remember to

 

 

HQAL: The Dahlia Project

It’s time again for an update on our hand quilting projects. At our last posting I shared that I planned to finish the baby quilt for my grandson. Well, I did and I mailed it. Now I am blaming my stupidity on ‘covid’ brain for not having a picture of it. I didn’t take a picture? I know I did. I made the cutest label and thank fully I have that photo to show you along with the last photo, it looks like, I took of the quilt. The binding was fold over of the backing. It really looked adorable all finished 🙂

For my next project I will be working on this gorgeous Dahlia panel called Dream Big Sunset from Fat Quarter Shop. I know I saw this panel being worked some time ago in our group, didn’t I? Was it by Deb? Hand up if it was you because it was stunning  (or something very similar)  I fell in love with it then and then again seeing it on Carol’s blog @  https://frommycarolinahome.com

I still need to decide on a backing, whether to use something I have already or look for something new. I will also need some batting. Why hadn’t I purchased some when I ordered this?  (It’s that damn covid brain thing again) So while my decision is made, I still have a few supplies to get together.

I am excited to get started and hopefully by our next check in I’ll have her going. Until then please take some time and follow the links below and visit some of the other amazing hand quilters in our group.

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.

Kathy, Margaret, Tracy, Deb, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, Gretchen, Kathi, Daisy, Connie, Monica and Sherrie

SAL: “Trick Or Treat #2 Update

At our last posting I had decided to tackle the ‘Trick or Treat’ Victorian sampler for my next project. I had a small start – seen below – The instructions called for single strand floss thread. I didn’t have have the correct color floss called for so it was crafters choice 🙂

Here is where I am now, with quite a few flaws visible, besides something just didn’t seem right

Here is the jacket picture enlarged – the backing seemed to be fabric and not cross- stitch at all. This is a needle point project.

Checking back with the directions again – yup – careless mistake.  Oh boy – lets see how I figure this one out – I need to go back and really take a look at the directions. I think I can still work this as a cross stitch, double or triple up on the black floss..we’ll see

Until then

Please check out what everyone else has been up to by clicking their names below. We live all over the world so you may need to allow for time differences. Posting takes place every third Sunday, local time. Our next updates will be posted on the 2nd August 2020.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ, Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

 

 

A Gift For A Gift

I was surprised to get a call from my banker who said “I have that material in my car for you, would you like me to drop it by?”

At first I was just shocked, had I had a conversation about material with her? If so how long ago had that been that I didn’t even remember?

Obviously we had had a conversation. After a good laugh over it …. she dropped by with the precious cargo.

Plus this case with fabulous bits of treasure

What better way to say thank you then using the material she gave me. I crafted this small pillow in the simplest of pinwheel design with material she gave me.

Already in my stash, I have a few left over log cabin blocks (also donated to me) You may remember my post for ‘Velmas Quilt’ you can read about it here  Velmas Quilt Completed I used one of the blocks, cut down to size for the back, then trimmed it with see through pearl beading.

The colors in both were the perfect match. The beading reflects the colors around them which I love.

 

I have been feeling a bit blue recently. Another something unexpected happened over this past week. We lost our kitty named Itty Bitty (10) to diabetes and 8 days later (while anticipating the inevitable, we lost our mini schnauzer, Dusty Doolittle Johnson (15) to old age.

It was nice to do something special for someone who did something nice for me.

 

An unexpected pleasure turned into a sweet little treasure

 

HQAL: Finishing Up a Baby Quilt :)

Good Morning and hello again with next 3 weeks posting for the HQAL. At our last posting I was pleased to write that I had finally finished the Capital T Quilt.

I had an idea of what I wanted to work on next but instead, I decided to continue and finish a baby quilt I have been working on to welcome a grandson’s first baby girl. I have shown this project before but on my daily regular feed. The baby quilt is for a couple that is fun, funky, comic lovers, off the grid ~ is the best I can describe them ~ so I wanted the quilt to match their personality. The blocks are all hand pieced but I admit that I attached the sashing by machine due to time constraints.

 

Here we are now for this posting

I have been working daily hand quilting all of the blocks. In fact I am just finishing up the last block. I doubled up on the quilt batting, a cotton and synthetic blend and it really made the quilting pop!

The back looks fun and squishy, just what I wanted

I feel good I will have this completed on schedule for mailing off to Texas to welcome baby Kira on time.

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.

Kathy, Margaret, Tracy, Deb, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, Gretchen, Kathi, Daisy, Connie, Monica and Sherrie

Please take some time and visit the pages of the other wonderful hand quilters and make some new friends

 

 

SAL: New Project Choice

Hi everyone ~ how does three weeks come and go so quickly?

I made a decision on my next project in the nick of time. I was wavering on what to start but I know some of you will be happy to see that my choice was the Halloween “Trick or Treat” cross stitch.

I was a little hesitant with this for a number of reasons. One reason was I didn’t have the right length of cloth to complete the whole picture. Another, I didn’t have the floss colors listed. Wanting to get started, I thought, hey I can eliminate, create, and alter as much as I want. Enough procrastinating, I’d give this a try get this project started…..

I don’t remember the exact details on the fabric I purchased at Joanns before Christmas. Pretty sure its an 18 count cotton Aida fabric in a neutral/beige. I will be using floss from my stash trying my best to match up the colors with the picture and thread list. I did a read through of the directions and seem pretty confident I can do this  🙂

I’ll see you all at our next posting and until then

Please enjoy the projects of the other participants by clicking on the links blow. We live all over the world so please allow for the time differences.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ, Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

 

About the SAL

Please note this SAL is not accepting any more new members until further notice but this is what it’s all about anyway. This SAL (Stitch Along) is slightly different to other SALs in that we don’t all stitch the same design at the same rate. We choose ONE unfinished project, or ONE new one, and show progress of its completion over a series of three weekly updates. There are no deadlines and no set amount to stitch. The result is that the space in our drawers full of WIPs (works in progress) is gradually being freed up to store lots of new crafty goodness. It’s surprising how much motivation I’ve gained from being in this SAL.

Progress on the Fun & Funky Baby Quilt

I’ve been busy with quite a few projects the past few weeks. We’ve seen cooler temps and rain here in the northwest, but it always seems by the late afternoon, the clouds break with the sun bursting through to warm us and remind us, we truly are in spring.

One of the projects I have been working on is a baby quilt for my grandson Kris expecting his first – a girl, due in August. I have shared the photo below, of what I am working on before, a quilt that’s fun, funky, bright and bold to match his and his families personality. I had stashed, massive amounts of the Curious George material and the pink flowered scraps  (picked up at a yard sale some time back) They seemed to be the perfect choice to use for this project.

Midway during the construction I ordered material from Connecting Treads for the sashing, ordering a few choices, hoping one would match. I wanted the sashing to be in the pink but once the material was received I was disappointed that the 3 choices I ordered were totally off. I had however ordered 2 other sashing choices to go with the other baby quilt I am working on (for no particular person)

On a whim and a prayer I thought ~ why not try the two turquoise I had ordered, one dark and one light. Since the theme of the quilt was fun and funky, bright and bold ~ throw in comic and outside the box – the dark turquoise seemed perfect to pick up the hint of blue in the pattern.

Here she is pieced together

38″ X 36″

The backing will be done in the Curious George material. The blocks were all hand pieced together but I admit it – I turned to the machine, the first time, and machine stitched the sashing to the blocks. I will be hand quilting her though. I just felt like time was becoming an issue for me after waiting so long for the material order. I want to get her in the mail to Texas by early July if possible.

Also in the craft basket for the last few weeks has been these 2 Christmas kitchen tea towels

And this cross stitch Christmas card to go along with them

Thank you for stopping by

 

 

 

HQAL: Capital T Quilt Update

At our last posting I was working on quilting the last of the blocks I needed to do before moving on to the binding.

I finished all the blocks including going back through and quilting around the inside of each square.

And then I went right into stitching the binding which was the overlap material of the backing. It took about 6 hours and well here it is ~

finished

I couldn’t have done this with out the encouragement and suggesting from the fabulous group of crafters in this quilt along. From the onset, which began as a block a month, I was challenged. I was disappointed in my choice of going all out colorful and not the more traditional solid color with white. Then those darn flying geese, a first time for me and until ‘I got it’ I was stumped and stumbled piecing them. And block size – don’t get me started, lol! I thought, this is never going to work.

The batting was Purely Cotton. Once I got started the actually quilting process, I realized it was much too thin and I should have doubled or tripled up or actually gone with wool or a synthetic blend for a heavier winter blanket feel. I now have a very thin light weight summer throw. I also experienced lots of ‘pull through’ of batting while quilting. It wasn’t hard to clean up once finished with one of those lint brushes.

The backing is the same as the binding. No picture ~ there’s really nothing to see. I used a cranberry thread which blended in with the back. The pattern of the blocks is almost undetectable.

I learned so much through the process, so today I post and ask you to join me in this

and then dance on over to the others in our group and peek in and see all the fabulous work they have been working on.

Kathy, Margaret, Tracy, Deb, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, Gretchen, Kathi,  Bella, Daisy, Connie, Monica and Sherrie

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 above.

SAL: Sweet Cactus Finish :)

Hi All ~ it’s that time again for an update on my SAL Sweet Cactus. I have a finish. That is a finish until I have her framed. At our last posting three weeks ago I was here.

It didn’t take me long to get the backstitching finished and my name on it, need to put the year still.

Once framed, this sweet cactus will join the first one I had completed back in December, and then make its way to Okinawa, Japan for my daughter. I’ll frame her exactly the same for a matched pair 🙂

You may remember this set of cross stitch Christmas cards I purchased. I had already completed the Cardinal and picked up the candle with poinsettia to work on while deciding on what’s next.

I do have the Halloween Sampler I could start and she may just be the one.

By clicking on the names of the links below you can visit the others participating in this SAL and see the fabulous projects they are working on.

 

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley,Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ, Jenny, Laura,Cathie, Linda, Sherrie, Helen

About the SAL

Please note this SAL is not accepting any more new members until further notice but this is what it’s all about anyway. This SAL (Stitch Along) is slightly different to other SALs in that we don’t all stitch the same design at the same rate. We choose ONE unfinished project, or ONE new one, and show progress of its completion over a series of three weekly updates. There are no deadlines and no set amount to stitch. The result is that the space in our drawers full of WIPs (works in progress) is gradually being freed up to store lots of new crafty goodness. It’s surprising how much motivation I’ve gained from being in this SAL.