ScrapHappy Saturday - Just In Time!

Last Saturday of the month - that means I am just in the nick of time to post my June RSC blocks.  This month is sunny Yellow!  Take a look at some of the wonderful yellow blocks for June at So Scrappy.

My yellow blocks kind of match some of the flowers on my deck!

Here are the individual blocks.. 

These blocks go together really quick - which this month was a very good thing!

More sunny yellow in the garden.  Plants are really starting to bloom after such a harsh winter.  Do you remember the photos of all the snow?  This perennial garden was under about 4 - 5 feet of snow!  I thought I had lost the butterfly bush under the bird house.. but it is coming back from just a tiny little leaf in the Spring!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Stitching!

Deb

A Celebration!!

What a wonderful way to celebrate my 100th post - by sharing a recent finish!!  Isn't this the sweetest quilt??  I finally finished this a few weeks ago.

This quilt, called Chintz Bouquet, is on my 2014 UFO list.  (Happy Dance!) I was so thrilled to finally have this one done.... I can't even remember when I started it.. but I would guess eight or nine years ago! LOL  Some of my quilting friends might remember this one - you even helped me decide on the border fabrics!  Well.. it's finally done. 

The flowers, buds and leaves were needle-turn appliqued to the machine pieced baskets.  Love the scrappiness of this quilt.  I machine pieced the blocks; it was machine quilted by longarm quilter Janice Jamison.

Now doesn't this look like the perfect spot to sit down with a book, or some hand work?

 

Happy Stitching,

 

Deb

 

Stitch Along with Blackbird Designs

I've been enjoying working on this stitch along pattern from Blackbird Designs.  The pattern is available on their blog and is a free download.  The pattern is based on an antique sampler Alma purchased recently.  You can see the orginal here.  You will see why I was so excited to start this little jewel.  I have never done a stitch along, in fact I have not done cross stitch (of any significance) in 20+ years.  However, I love samplers... I love Blackbird Designs.. so I joined in!  Are you beginning to realize it doesn't take much for me to jump into projects! LOL

The four-sided stitches were new to me and a bit challenging.  Not because they are hard to do, they just take a lot of time compared to a cross stitch.  I am working this on 28 ct. linen, over two threads, with cotton floss.

I find it this to be very relaxing and a nice change of pace from my quilting projects... not that they are being ignored!  It also is easier on my hands. 

Here is my current progress on this little sampler.  I started this the first week in May.  I took the suggestion of Carol over at The Polka Dot Chicken and used a smyrna stitch for the larger alphabet rather than the eyelet stitch the pattern called for. You can't see it in this photo, but I liked the raised stitches.

 

I am looking forward to moving onto the floral border and the numbers.  I also want to personalize it in some way - just haven't decided what that would be...  a different color thread?, a different stitch?  Any suggestions from all you stitchers out there?  I am sure you are much more experienced with cross stitch patterns than I am!

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Quick, Fun, and Fabulous Pillow

I'm slowly trying to get caught up on my posts of some recent projects.  Life keeps getting in the way!  LOL  But I finally have some photos to share and some time to post them!

Isn't this adorable?  I found this pattern in the book Material Obsession 2 by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke - love their designs!  It is the center of a quilt called "Looking Back" and was a perfect 24" size to make into a pillow for our guest room bed.  I wanted it to be fun and quick!  This is how I did it...

The book features full sized pull out patterns, which is great when inspiration hits you and you want to start right away!

I made some bias fabric stems and glued them down with my fabric glue stick.  I followed the pattern positioned under my fabric.  These were then stitched down with a machine buttonhole stitch.

Before I knew it, I was adding the bird and all the colorful leaves - all raw edge and just stitched around the edge.

The larger pieces were put on with basting glue.  Just a few dots around the edge will do.  Love this basting glue from Roxanne.

Very quickly my design was done and ready to go to the sewing machine for some stitching!  I used some decorative stitches around the bird, etc.

Finally the piece was finished and all that needed to be done was the machine quilting - free motion, of course!  This was a lot of fun!  I just love all the colors!

And it looks great on the guest room bed - and it was done just in time for our guests!

 

Happy Stitching!

 

Deb

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Beautiful peony flowers from a thoughtful neighbor sitting in my kitchen window.

 

Deb

Following Your Muse... or a Random Act of Quilting

I have not been sewing much lately... and thus not much blogging either.  We had a wonderful time this past week with our friends, Kathy and Tom, visiting from New Mexico.  They moved there from New Jersey about 5 years ago and we really miss them.  So we were really looking foward to their visit for so long... and now it's hard to believe it's over. 

So I finally got back to some sewing over the weekend.  I have been playing with some designs using old lace pieces, old cutter quilts, etc.  I decided to follow my muse and see what came of it.

I started with a piece of blue and white old quilt - a cutter quilt.  And believe me this was truely a cutter quilt - with most of the backing in shreds and part of the quilt top missing.  Even the cotton batting was bunched up in spots.  Certainly something that has seen better days and perfect for repurposing.

 I started with my bluebird and added some embroidery.

Then I added some flowers, leaves, more embroidery and mother-of-pearl buttons.

Antique lace was perfect along the right side and the bottom.

I added a nice polka dot border and big stitched around the edge.

 

Here is my finished Blue Bird quilt.  It is small and sweet and so much fun to make!

 

This will probably go up in my Etsy shop shortly.  It was just a fun piece to satisfy a random act of quilting!  I might have to make another!

 

Happy Stitching!

Deb