Crazy stocking

Crazy Stocking

I absolutely love all of the wool patterns over at Primitive Gatherings.  My new favorite one is the Crazy Christmas Stocking.  I got the pattern a couple of days ago and have already got all of the background pieces selected and wool for the appliques read to go.  My plan for tonight is to trace all of the applique designs and get started.  If all goes as planned you will see the beginnings tomorrow.  Everyone in my family already has cross-stitched stockings that I have made over the years, but I couldn't help myself and  just have to make this one.  You can never have too  many stockings!  Actually if I get it finished in time I am going to donate it to the Silent Auction that our school  has for Relay for Life.  I have a few weeks before the auction so maybe I can get it done.  Wish me luck.

Wool ready to be made into a stocking.

70's no snow

 What a difference 10 days makes.  Just  a week and a half ago we had snow and ice and missed 4 days of school.  Not so this weekend, it has been absolutely beautiful.  The temperature has been in the upper 60's and low 70's.  While filling up the birdfeeders I notice the daffodils and the crocus were blooming, spring is just around the corner; although we always have our worst weather in March.




With DH out of town this weekend for a "manweekend"  I got caught up on a few things.  I finally finished all of my Christmas Reel blocks, now to get them sewn together and the borders done. 

I also got the binding on this flannel quilt.  I realized while doing the binding that I started this during our last major snow storm in 2011.  Maybe we should have snow storms more often and I would get more done.

 

 

First trip to the cabin this year

We made our first trip to the cabin this year.  I can't believe that here we are 6 weeks into the new year and haven't been to our cabin, it has been a combination of the weather and DH and I both having the flu that has kept us close to home this year.  I love the cabin in winter but I realized on my walk yesterday that the main color at this time of year is brown.  Everything is brown, the trees, the ground, and even  the sky looked brown.  It is the perfect time to be inside with a fire, a cup of hot chocolate and a good book, or some handwork.

 I took my applique blocks to the cabin and guess what 7 done only two more to go.  Can't wait to finish the other two and get them sewn together.  I have started working on the half square triangle border but have a  ways to go on that.  More snow and ice is predicted this week, could be that school is out a day or two which means more sewing. 

Working on UFO's

I am finally over the flu, I think, still have some sniffles and coughs, but feel much better.  I decided to look at my UFO list and see where I should get started to reduce this list this year.  I decided to start with Christmas Reel.  This is a Lisa Bongean pattern that was in a quilt magazine a couple of years ago, I think it was Fons and Porter.  I fell in love with it and ordered the same fabric that she had used. There are only nine blocks, really large blocks they are 20 1/2 inches square. When I dug this out of its box I had four of the nine squares finished.  I was pleasantly surprised, I didn't remember doing that many.  I only have five more blocks to go, plus the sawtooth border.  It is my goal to finish this one before I start on an more hand projects, since the blocks are applique I can work on it at night while watching TV with my DH. 

Folk Art Tribute #3

I am really getting into this applique thing.  This is the third of the folk art applique blocks from Dawn at Linen Closet Quilts.  I think the reason I like these blocks so well is that the pieces are really big.  I am fairly new to the world of applique and the big pieces are much easier for me to do at this point.  I spent more time trying to select my fabrics that I do on the actual applique.  I am always second guessing myself.  I usually wish that I had selected other fabrics after I start working on a block, but so far I have been pleased with the outcome of the blocks.  I am taking a Hawaiian applique class on Saturday and am really looking forward to that.

New Applique Project

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across a new applique BOM, it is from Linen Closet Quilts  I am still fairly new to applique, but I really liked the two blocks that she has posted.  One really great thing so far, is the large applique pieces.  I thought the large pieces would be better to work with since my skills aren't that great.  I made the large basket block first, although it is the second block.  I can't wait to see the next block.

Free at Last!

Yeah, I am finally free to get out of the house. Thursday the doctor took off the bandages and told me I could start getting out and about again. Thank you!! I know I was only in the house for a week, but it felt much longer. I have not wasted any time, Friday I spent part of the day with some good friends, it was so much fun. Today has been spent doing dreaded household chores that we not done last week. It took a little longer than usual to get them finished, but they are done for another week. Before I was given my freedom I did manage to finish another block from the Carrie Hall BOM that I started last year. I think this is the 4th block that I have finished. I am really taking my time and trying to get the applique just perfect. I don't have a lot of experience with applique, I have taken a class, but still haven't done that much with it. I stepped out of my box for this quilt, my friend Krisite is doing it in homespuns, I wanted to do something a little different so I went with batiks. I am not that much into batiks, but they are easy to applique. I like it that the block background isn't batik, I think that would have been too much.

Great Way to Spend a Sunday Afternoon

Yesterday I had the best time with a group of my sewing friends. Pat from Silver Thimble had arranged a special applique class taught by Wanda Hizer. It was a great class. I have done some applique in the past, but have never taken a class. What I know I had picked up from books or from watching friends. I learned so much yesterday, Wanda is a great teacher. I

was totally amazed by her applique. You should have seen the bird's eyes that she did, they were minuscule, and I do mean minuscule. She taught several different techniques, needle turn, reverse applique, cut away, a starch technique, and a technique with glue. I liked the needle turn and the starch method. I can see myself using both of those techniques in the future.

Debbie and Pat were on their best behavior, working very hard on their hearts.

Becky is showing off her needle turned heart. It looked great! Of course after the class we had to head upstairs to Little Quilts and do some shopping. As you know from previous postings, I am on a fabric diet, I stuck to it. I bought some silk thread for applique, some needles, and some pre-printed quilt labels. No fabric came home with me yesterday.