turkey feathers

Waiting for Spring

In the cool of the morning with windows slightly open for the first time in ages, and with a bit of glorious and rarely seen in February  sunlight pouring in, some lovely quilt progress has taken place on the kitchen counter.  My little hexie quilt-top is all stitched up, smoothed out, squared up, satisfactorily lined with a softly worn flannel sheet (very thrifty for a light-weight quilt), and has been backed and basted around the edges. Ahh.

When all was said and done, I did make up my mind to hand-quilt it.  So, I am now poised and ready and looking forward to picking up my needle and thread and weaving it through the colorful flower garden, stitch by tiny stitch.  Through the hedgerows and primrose paths.  Around manor houses, woodland wildlife and contented pets. 

Stopping only to feed the birds.  This type of sewing is peaceful work.  I'm refreshed by the experience and the unhurried steady pace of all this repetitive stitching.  All the while dreaming of spring, which is getting closer by the day.  Yay!

Rows and Roses

Here's another page from Embroidered Pictures and Patchwork; a project done in applique called, 'Monday Morning'.  Isn't this adorable?  Sadly, no pattern for this is given in the book, with the exception of the boy waving, as an example for placing and layering the applique pieces.  I love the combination of plaids and florals and bright colors.  The green background is especially effective I think, and makes the other colors pop. 

I'm making tremendous progress on my quilt--adding row upon row.  Stitched up the last two motifs yesterday.  I ended up making twelve embroidered hex-patches in all and am really pleased with the overall pattern (which is somewhat random), and the size is perfect now.  The quilt top is actually in three sections; I'll be stitching these together over the weekend and adding the small bits around the edges to make them straight.  And while doing this, I shall be pondering my next move:  To quilt, or not to quilt.  That is the question.

We had sweet surprises on Valentine's Day, hope you did too.  

Quilt Block: Basket of Hearts

It's Valentine's Day!  Here's a basket of love from me to you: 

Download BASKET OF HEARTS-QUILT BLOCK

Happy Hearts

Hello dear friends!  Celebrating Valentine's Day with a vintage quilt block pattern "basket of love".  Click on the image to save and enlarge as needed.   

 

 

Color Wheel

Despite the gray skies outside, it's a beautiful February day here, because I am surrounding myself with lots of gorgeous color.  I've been stitching up a storm!  So much so in fact, that I just noticed a little callous on my right index finger (where I grab the sewing needle to pull it through fabric).      

All this manic stitching is paying off though, as I'm making wonderful progress on my projects.  The hot pad (above) turned out darling; I still need to sew a plastic ring on top to hang it in the kitchen.  It's entirely decorative, of course, and will likely never see any serious action near the stove.  Let's hope not anyway, because it's only lined with cotton flannel.

"Work" on the hexagon quilt continues... I've added a few more embroidered patches.  These are fun, and although they are small, only about 3" in diameter, they seem to take as long as anything because they are so detailed.  I'm using just two strands of cotton floss; and occasionally three.  And working it all in the tiniest of stitches.  

For about a week now, the quilt has been taking shape and growing; I have it all laid out on the floor and have begun stitching various small sections together.  I think I'll add another row to make this more of a rectangle though, because it lacks symmetry otherwise, something I didn't consider until I stood back and looked at it.  Definitely a learning process as I go along.  Every quilt I've ever made has taught me something.

As far as fabrics go, these are mostly older and "vintage" with a few newer prints scattered around.  This is a great stash-buster project!  Especially for all these small bits--with otherwise limited potential.  I wanted to make this quilt bright and colorful, and it is certainly that. 

A rainbow of color, that's what. 

We frequently get rainbows here in the northwest, and particularly over this back field behind our house at certain times of the day.  When this happens, everyone scurries to the windows for a look-see, and if it's good and spectacular we will properly trip over each other to find a camera before the brilliance fades.  This was a three camera event rainbow, as I recall.

Inside sewing headquarters...my stash of rainbow colors for stitching everything under the sun.  And then some. 

  

Winter Blues, Green, Yellow & Red

Thank you for cheering me along with my latest project!  I've settled into a rhythm stitching on these in the evenings and the "hexie quilt" is growing a little more each day. After laying everything out, I've settled on having nine flower blocks surrounded by a single white border, which will make a square quilt about 44 x 44-inches.  The perfect snuggle size.  But before I've even gotten this quilt finished, I've already got my eye on the next quilt project after seeing this darling piecework by PamKittyMorning; part of a "row-along" from Bee in my Bonnet.  This flickr group pool is inspiring, isn't it?  

So... still thinking about those cute row houses, and drooling over fabric, and let's see what else...oh yes, little doll is patiently waiting to be adorned in vivid color.  Will it be hearts, flowers, or ladybugs?  Decisions, decisions. 

While I'm here with camera in hand, and since I'm way overdue for a "corners of my home" photo, here ya go.  This vintage vanity table makes a sweet sewing nook. 

I've been watching the old episodes of Heartland again with my youngest daughter (who is a crazy-in-love-with-horses kind of gal), so I certainly have hearts on the brain.  We HEART Heartland in a BIG way around here.  (We have the DVD's, but you can still watch some of the episodes here.) 

I also "hearted" this Redwork sentiment so much that I included it with this month's Bonus Designs.  My needle has been flying lately!  I've also got another project underway with the "East or West, Home is Best" design too. I'll save that bit for a show and tell next week.  Until then....big hearts to all!   

Hexagon Scrap Quilt

The arrival of this darling little book in my mailbox started a whole flurry of cutting and stitching over the weekend.   Oh, this book!  I've actually been pining away for this book for some time, and was surprised and thrilled to finally run across it.  We have here a third edition (1964), printed in England, with a copyright date of 1950, so that's going back to another time entirely.  Inside are the most darling illustrations and embroidery patterns, mainly for making a child's hexagon quilt, but there are a couple of samplers, an embroidered pinafore style apron, and some other things inside as well. This is my first crack at making a hexagonal quilt and so far, I like it!   And that surprised me, because I didn't think I would.  Hexagons always seemed somewhat tedious and complicated to cut and sew precisely.  But I found out, there's a technique.  Not difficult!  And more than one way of achieving a perfect patch.  (We do like having options.)

There's the hand-stitch method described in the book using a cardboard template to stitch around, and the "modern" freezer paper method requiring an iron.  I tried both methods and got great results with each.  Each method has its own merits though, so I can't say one way is better than the other.  Neither way is faster than the other either, when you consider the time spent printing and cutting out (many) freezer paper templates. 

This project has been ideal for using up scraps.  I love the satisfaction of making something out of nothing.  Turning trash into treasure, so to speak.  The colors may not relate perfectly, but the repeating hexagonal shape unifies them, and besides I must admit I love a randomly pieced quilt with the unexpected burst of color or the odd print that catches the eye.  

I've been looking for a quilt project that could be done without a sewing machine, something I could just reach into a basket and stitch on, and this fit that criteria perfectly.    

So, I made a 4-inch template (measured from point-to-point across the middle), twice the usual size, in order to fit some small embroidered motifs in the middle of some of the blocks.   At this point, I'm still playing around with the "blocks" and haven't decided on a border color.  Maybe I'll stick with white, in the same manner that a "Grandmother's Flower Garden" quilt is done.  Mine is basically an enlarged and simplified version of that.  I'll keep posting on my progress.    

Oh, she does look a bit like Jemima Puddle-Duck!  So darling.

Crochet: Pansy Panholder

From WorkBasket January 1952:

This panholder is not only pretty but also durable and heavy since it has a double thickness.  Makes a six-inch square when completed.  The pansy in the center is worked in tinted yellow or lavender as is the edge.  The remainder can be worked in a lighter shade of main color or white.  Uses a 5 or 6 crochet hook. 

Download PANSY PANHOLDER