At my last posting I had almost finished adding the row of houses for trick or treaters to walk down. It looked like this below ~ houses in outer space 🙂
I have been working pretty consistently these past three weeks. Here is where I am today.
I am still planning on adding a bit more in the area above the kids. I am not sure what but it looks a bit bare. Perhaps another bat, a moon? Any ideas?
Time now to check in on the others participating in this SAL. Please join me by clicking their names below.
The idea is that this is a mystery and I have no idea what pattern I will be making. Who doesn’t love a great mystery? Twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month. Carole will post a new direction for the construction of the quilt. No deviating or changing the directions 🙂
The first direction was the size choices and cutting directions. I was delighted to see the table topper option. Since this is my first mystery quilt along and I have 3 panel quilts and a log cabin quilt in progress I was worried about taking on to much. This will be perfect to test my wings in addition this will be hand pieced and quilted.
Saturday I cut out my pattern pieces and Sunday I picked out my material choices and cutout the required pattern pieces.
My first choice for the background was the light pink material but after rereading the directions and suggestions for fabric choices and what would work best, I went back to my fabric stash and chose this deep bright blue fabric for the background. Much brighter and more of a contrast.
Ready for the next step on the 4th Friday of this month 🙂
I am standing at the cross roads of decision making for our posting for the HQAL.
At our last posting I had completed The Dahlia Project. A cousin, who I am very fond of, fell in love with it and asked me to make him one – he’d pay. “Of course you won’t” and together over text’s and photos we found a panel he loved and the perfect backing material. I’ll be working on hand quilting that but its not my pick for my new project.
I purchased two beautiful panels off of the Zulily site in November. They are Riley Blake Designs – National Parks by Anderson Design Group. Denali for a daughter who lives in Alaska and Zion for another daughter ~ a special memory of summers spent at our Utah cabin situated between Zion and Bryce Canyon.
For the backing material I ordered off of Joanns online and found two fabrics I think will work nicely with them. I have used different batting over the years, with not all batting the same (as we know) but for these projects I am using Fairfields 80/20, also from Joanns. It works well for me. Both will be hand quilted projects.
BUT – I needed a new hand quilting project for the HQAL and both of these will be easy for me and I wanted something that would be challenging and a bit out of my comfort zone. I do have the tulip quilt which was a big contender, but haven’t purchased a backing material yet. I decided to leave her on the quilt rack for later.
Looking for inspiration for my next project I kept eyeing the precious table runner on my coffee table sent to me by Susan of https://desertskyquilts.com I love the log cabin pattern and have never pieced or quilted one.
My thoughts jumped to an old and I mean old Quilt Block of the Month kit I picked up at the Goodwill in 2011. Looking through my stash I found it. It wasn’t exactly what I remembered.
I like things simple and do better with visual directions rather than written and once I opened the kit and began to read through the directions, a cloud of doom and gloom descended over me. With just a few pages of the directions shown below, this in anything but simple. In fact, I am pretty sure I don’t have everything I need.
There is quite a bit of precut material – – – – I decided I am going to work on piecing 12″ basic log cabin blocks using this precut material.
I’ll make my own templates using these directions
It’s decided, I will be starting my first log cabin quilt. I made a practice block, adding a sweet brown/leaf material to the mix. Hopefully I will have enough material to make 16 blocks all the same. If not – well let’s cross that bridge when I get there.
Now I am off to visit the posts of the others in our group. Please join me in taking a look at their fabulous hand quilting projects in the works.
Hand Quilt Along Links
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.
Here we are at the end of another year and another three week check in on our project. I have continued working pretty steadily even with other holiday projects needing completion. ‘Perry’ has been my faithful companion as I work. Setting the time each day has really been helpful in getting this project worked on.
You may remember my last posting with the start of trick or treaters walking down the street. It certainly seemed odd to me. At first glance I realized my choice of aida cloth color was wrong. The white simply was lost. In fact after a good start I was disappointed with the over all choice from the get go. But that was behind me. Now what the heck was wrong with these kids out for treats besides the white thread being lost?
Of course, I had skipped a step, the row of homes came first. So out came the stitches, thankfully not too many of them and I started on the houses.
Here is where I am now. Much better 🙂
I need one more home, I need to add some more greenery (shrubs), perhaps a tree between the orange and red house or another home. I was thinking a bat and I’ll be ready to start on the kids. I was also thinking about putting this project into a ‘tea’ bath when I am done to darken the cloth. I am just feeling as this progresses that the cloth is all wrong. It should be dark and gloomy/spooky. Does anyone have any thoughts on that or an idea what I could use or do?
The year has come to an end. Our three week check ins have helped make this year seem to go by so quickly. Good riddens to 2020, I am not sad to see you end. I have accomplished so much with the encouragement of the group. It’s been so much fun to follow you all. You’ve not only encouraged me but inspired me.
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 17th January 2021.
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.
I totally surprised myself with this finish. Here is where I was at our last posting. I only shared sections of finished leaves.
I had filled in quite a few of the outer layers of leaves with just about half dozen or so to finish. Before I knew it I was creating my own bias tape for the border using the backing fabric. I cut out 4 ~ 1t yard strips ~ 2 1/2″ wide plus a bit more, sewed together, pressed down the middle, then folded both sides in to middle and pressed…homemade bias tape 🙂
View of the backing and the bias tape
And here is The Dahlia project finished
Thank you for all the encouragement. I started this in July. Six months of working on this payed off. It was slow going at times as other projects took center stage for completion but I truly loved working on this.
Not sure what I will be working on for my next project. I did buy two other panel pieces, one highlighting Utah and another highlighting Alaska and if any of my daughters are reading this I may have just given away a surprise. I also have a gorgeous tulip quilt top I picked up at out local goodwill ions ago that is very sad and begging to be finished. You may remember it:
I imagine the decision can wait till our next posting. For now wishing you good health and happiness, a lovely blessed holiday season. Stay safe and keep on hand quilting…..
Hand Quilt Along Links
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.
Three weeks has never gone by faster. Thanksgiving has come and the holidays are ahead of us. We will have one more post and then welcome 2021…how can this be possible?
Here is where I was at our last posting
I finished section 2 with Perry Mason my faithful tv companion.
I started on section 3, and true to this project, confusion reigned. I kept looking at my work, thinking something is not right. Progressing I could see that the background cloth color was crucial in choosing. A darker color was needed for the ghosts to show up but that wasn’t what was wrong.
After starting the row of trick or treaters, I realized I had skipped the background, a row of wonderful houses to trick or treat at. Thankfully I hadn’t worked to many of the costumed cuties. Now I need to remove them and start over.
The Halloween cross stitch is not the only project I have been working on. My time has been shared with cross stitch Christmas Cards. I have shown these outside of this SAL posting but thought so close to the holidays I needed to add some cheer along with Halloween. Here are a few of my favorites that will be sent out to special friends this week.
Below are the links to the others participating in this SAL. Please stop by and visit their pages ~ there is some amazing projects in the works.
Wrapping up my Holiday gift giving crafts for this year. I have added a few more cross stitch cards, tea towels and mini pillows filled with love.
I made two of these. Poinsettia’s are a favorite and I couldn’t resist making a second instead of another pattern.
Most people throw out their plant at the end of the season but have you ever kept your poinsettia plant? Just google the directions. It’s easy and fun to see the plant come back to life.
Small Pillow and Tea Towel will be a gift combo. These pillows are so quick and easy to stitch up whether by hand or machine. The pillow is pieced in the Friendship Star pattern, just perfect from a friend.
I peaked in to my remnants box and found about 1/2 yard of this great snow scene material and matched it with the gray and white material. The white dots look like snowflakes – perfect! I loved using the string of pearls for the edging with these pillows. I am pairing this pillow with the card below for a special friend.
Two more cards completed. One last tea towel finished
This year was difficult for so many. A second wave has hit our country and the numbers infected are rising, additional restrictions are being enforced and for the first time since this began, friends I personally know and am close with have become ill with the virus. Thankfully a vaccine is on the horizon. As I continue to hunker down and nestle in for a long winters nap I will continue to craft with gift giving in mind. It’s easy to spread some happiness around, not just through the holidays but throughout the year. Be safe out there!
At our last HQAL posting I had made some progress in filling in the petals in the yellow hue.
I have been a bit distracted with working on some Christmas gifts and cards but am pleased with the progress during this 3 week interval.
I have added hearts A circle and squares Wavy lines and oval leaves Beautiful green to blue leaf and yellow hearts
I love the subtle change of color in this panel, like the changing of the leaves in fall
I also have one other project I had been working on that I finished. I had shared the beginning of it but it was a gift for a friend who follows my blog so I needed to keep it pretty much under wraps. Here she is finished. I machine stitched the blocks but she is hand quilted and bound. (time crunch) Gift sent and received 🙂
Friendship Star Lap Quilt
With the Thanksgiving holiday just days away I am so thankful for this HQAL that keeps me centered and on a path, accountable, when life’s distractions try to derail progress. Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year, especially this year. With so much division in our country and the pandemic snapping at our heals, causing so much heart ache and havoc in lives, I am thankful for the chance to reflect and remember just how much I am thankful for.
If you haven’t already please take some time and visit the pages of the other amazing hand quilters and projects they are working on
Hand Quilt Along Links
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.
I have been working on “Trick or Treat” an original design by Thea Dueck for The Victorian Sampler
At our last posting on Oct 25th, I had shared the photo below of my progress. I added the witch/farmer, leaf basket and line.
I wasn’t happy with the start to section 2 and took a really good look at the cover photo and way to complicated and confusing directions. I had zoomed in and enlarges the cover photo which gave me a clearer peak at what was going on. You may remember I decided I was going to remove what I had done and start over. I am so glad I did ~ what a difference.
There’s a lot of improvising and tweaking going on with the colors and pattern. I am using the directions and cover photo only as a guide. I moved the second tree and pumpkins over and will be adding another cat and bat into this section, pumpkins and trees. I also adopted a new crafting routine this 3 week period spending 1 hour M -F while watching Perry Mason from 9 – 10 am each day. Who doesn’t like a Merry Mason ala cross stitch 🙂
Now off to do some blog hopping!
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 6th December 2020.
A beautiful crisp fall northwest day here and it’s dry with glorious sun. Here is a look at our last posting of the dahlia panel I have been working on.
I have made some progress, not as much as I would like. Honestly I have been working on some holiday projects and another quilt. But Dahlia was not neglected as you can see.
She’s blossoming
Last posting I also shared and showed you the beginnings of another quilt I started. I had 8 of 12 blocks made.
Here she is now. While I pieced by machine, I did hand quilt her. Colorful friendship star blocks were made for a lap quilt for a friend. I still need to hand sew the binding and then make a label before mailing.
I am always excited for our posting days and a chance to see the progress of our fellow quilters. So I am off to blog hop and check in with you all 🙂 Stay well and safe, smiling and quilting.
Hand Quilt Along Links
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.
