Showing posts with label Pincushion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pincushion. Show all posts

Monday, July 31, 2017

July's Highlights

When I taught, I often experienced a certain ambivalence about the way summer days just flew by. Those fleeting days of summer vacation went far too fast. And now, as a retiree of going on nine years, I find I am experiencing the same feelings as I see the calendar now turned to the final day of July. ~sigh~

This July has been particularly satisfying insofar that I managed three finishes, one of which is finished to the quilted and delivered stage; the others two are flimsies. Those three finishes are what you see across the top of my July collage below.


The middle row showcases one more time the two beautiful versions of 'Elizabeth' that Sharon P. and I made this year; a group of 4 zany Frienzies in the middle of an activity at Pam's house last week; and a stack of sweet corn representing the 24 quarts DH and I worked up for the freezer.

In the bottom row, you see one of the 4 pincushions I've made this month from scraps in the sewing room. Next is an early misty-morning  view of the bike path where DH and I regularly walk. We have worked our way up to 4 miles each morning, from a paltry one mile in the month following my May surgery. The final pic is from Saturday's delightfully relaxing day on the screened porch with several beverages and an engaging book.

I mentioned that I've made 4 pincushions, yet you have not yet seen #4. I made it yesterday afternoon, and it took all of about 20 minutes.


The strips are random widths of scraps and it measures just slightly under 3" square. I have been taking a really easy approach to these, yet I have seen some from others that are intricately pieced. I might have to try one or two of those - just because. *grin*

My brain is busy coming up with a do-able list of goals for August, which I will share in the coming days. Have a great Monday, Peeps!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Sunday, July 30, 2017

A Glorious Sunday

Morning coffee.
I am not about to forget to acknowledge this beautiful weather we are having! For late July, we could be sweltering in heat and humidity - and there has been a fair amount of that this month - but yesterday and today are utter perfection! Gentle breeze, temps in the mid-70s, clear, cloudless blue skies - absolutely ideal.
Midday lemonade.
My Saturday was sublime - for all intents and purposes, I had the house to myself all day, so I enjoyed several cups of coffee on our screened porch before deciding to head upstairs to shower and get to sewing. However, after the shower, I really just wanted to sit on the porch some more!! So I made some lemonade, grabbed a book and read - all day! I finished my book around 9pm, the evening had gotten chilly and my toes were cold; the timer lights had flicked on, but I truly did treat myself to a lazy porch day - talk about heaven!

Reading into the late afternoon and evening.
The book is one my book club read nearly a year ago, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Published in 2014, nearly all I've ever heard about it is how wonderful it is, so why I could never find time to read it is beyond me. I knew ahead of time that I would miss the meeting in which this book was discussed, therefore I just laid it aside. I have moved it dozens of times to different tables and even picked it up to read on a few occasions, but for whatever reason, I never got very far.

Maybe I was waiting for a pleasant Saturday in July to sit on the porch with it in my lap?

My Sunday has been just as satisfying, I got up super-early and drove down to Rocky Fork Lake, southeast of Hillsboro (my old stomping grounds) for an 8am church service. The First United Methodist Church of Hillsboro has held weekly church services for campers at the lake for over 40 years - I know this because I used to go when I was in high school. They have a beautiful sanctuary-like spot with rustic benches, an altar, a sound system and quite a few more improvements since I used to go in the 70s. It is called Chapel in the Woods, and gauging by today's crowd, it is quite well-attended. My sister and brother-in-law have been taking my mom each week, and I surprised Mom by showing up today. It opens each spring on Mother's Day and continues through Labor Day.

Now to sewing. I haven't yet shared with you the two little pincushions I made with scraps from the Wishes quilt. I have watched with utter fascination the blog by Amanda Jean - Crazy Mom Quilts - and have seen both her pincushions and Carrie Nelson's, too, on Instagram. OMG! They are works of art, I tell you! So, being the squirrel that I am, I saved those little bits of scraps and knew that as soon as I finished that quilt top, I would for sure be making pincushions. And here are two. I will likely make more.



The top one measures just under 3" - but it isn't truly square. The bottom one is about 3" x 1" and is made like a tube. They are certainly fun, and it is so satisfying to get a little project finished so fast.


For my slow Sunday stitching, I think I will get back to that Lucy Boston block I worked on last week. I have cut quite a few "trial" hexies just to see how things work and I still feel like such a neophyte creating these blocks. I love the look, though, and will continue to hone my skills. Practice makes perfect, I believe I learned a long time ago. Plus, all these audition hexies will have to be used for something.

I'm linking up with that ongoing weekly party, Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts. She's celebrating five years of hosting this party each Sunday! Whoo-hoo!

Hope you are having a glorious day!

Happy Quilting, Friends!



Friday, July 14, 2017

Just a Little Diversion

On Tuesday when Sharon was here to sew, I finished the Swoon flimsy, which I have written about already and am thrilled beyond words to have finally finished. I am particularly fond of the little added touch I put on this quilt - those little stars in the sashing.

As I began sewing Tuesday, I had only a mental idea of what this sashing would look like. I decided I'd better make a sample just to be sure everything would work correctly. I didn't want to have to waste time unsewing and redoing things like wonky star points. I ended up with this quilt block which measures about 9 inches. If you read the link above, you'll find the measurements for making these stars.


It was just too pretty to leave in a pile to be forgotten, so I had the idea that I would trim it down and make it into a pincushion. This would be after the Swoon flimsy was finished, by the way. I actually followed through, and whipped up this sweet little guy on Wednesday.



It measures 6 inches. I had all the necessary parts for constructing this easily accessible here in the quilting room, so it was easy as pie to do.


Trim off the excess. Quilt the top. Add the back, leave an opening and turn right-side-out.


Pour in the stuffing. Whipstitch closed. Voila! A nifty pincushion!


Short and sweet today, Peeps! Frankfort Girls are meeting at Sheryll's this morning, and I must be off!

Happy Quilting, Friends!