Bits And Pieces From the Purge

I might create a little series of posts called Bits and Pieces. With the ongoing Purge and Organize Initiative, I have come across dozens of projects that need just the tiniest bit of time or attention to finish. Most come from Grandma's many boxes, but new sources of quilting items have come my way recently. 

I have a new collection of quilting items from my Aunt Margaret who passed in 2016. Her son my cousin Sam, after having sifted through items from his parents' estate, handed off his mom's quilting tubs to me. (More stuff!!) Plus, Jan of the Frankfort Girls has been purging. (Is it contagious??) I was selective in taking some of her stuff, too.

I know. Just say no, right? I could have done that, but there were good things to be had, and like I said, I was selective. I donated a several boxes of fabric to my Mennonite neighbors who do a tremendous amount of charitable work. Most recently they have been making comforters and quilts for North Carolina flooding victims. They were thrilled to get my fabric. I was glad to see my donation being used for this purpose.

But I digress...Getting back to my Bits and Pieces. Today I will share a couple of recent projects needing just the smallest amount of attention. Dealing with them clears space for more similarly simple finishes.

The cross-stitched portion of this pillow came out of my grandmother's things. Back in the 1980's, I sewed it into a pillow for Grandma which she kept on the back of her front room sofa. Alas, it came back to me. I removed the pillow form (to use elsewhere, no doubt) and stored the rest in my stuff. After recently coming across it in the POI (Purge and Organize Initiative),  I removed the dated '80s fabric and ruffle, and stitched up a fresh, new version. 

Another old thing I found needing the easiest of finishing touches - a whole-cloth flannel quilt that never had the binding attached. Twenty-some years ago, the quilt came back from the quilter with a zig-zag finish on the raw edges; heck, we just used it that way. Who needs binding on a quilt that was meant to be utilitarian from the get-go?

Utilitarian quilts can be bound with remnant bindings, so I pulled 3 remnants out of the binding box and properly finished this cozy, well-used quilt.

Now, let me show you a project that requires a little bit more than a quick-fix. In Aunt Margaret's stuff, I found 13 Ohio Stars, all blue and white, and all hand-pieced.

After laying them out on the bed, I decided how I could put them all together. I made one more star, out of the same stack of blue fabrics (shown below) and the background. Now I am making stepping stones blocks to place in between each star. Easy, but takes a little more time, and I am perfectly okay with that.

I will need 13-14 of these, and they could be done today. Last evening I made 4 pretty quickly, so I expect to be putting together a quilt top soon.

I am kinda' stoked to work on this and sew the quilt top. It will be so pretty, and since Aunt Margaret had a November birthday, I am thinking a lot about her - and missing her - as I work on these blocks.  

Oh, yes, there will be more little projects coming. I sometimes feel overwhelmed at the amount of things I am finding. Not enough hands to do them all. So many projects. I am at time stymied by the options.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Slow Sunday Stitching

Stitching so far here in sunny Florida has been hit or miss. It's difficult to overcome pleasant weather and beckoning attractions.Here's a scene from near my brother-in-law's house. We are in a rather rural area of Florida and conditions for walking are perfect. Little traffic, safe streets, scenic vistas such as the one here from this morning's 2-mile walk - you see what I mean!?

I have spent time on my stitching, yes, but not much. You see, the vacation fun has not been my only obstacle. This printed pattern has some flaws that are forcing me to guess at the placement of stitches. This makes me wonder if these flaws weren't the reason that Grandma never continued working on this. She started, but didn't get far, which was not like her at all. Now that I've spent some time discovering this pattern's flaws, I think I am correct in this assumption. Here are three pictures of printing flaws; there are more than this, too. I've added arrows on two of pictures to help you see the flaws.

 

In this third picture, are you able to see the missing marks? It's supposed to be a duck, so I will have to figure out the stitching the best I can. All of the objects will have to be done just the same - as best I can, whether it's precise with the way it's supposed to be or not. If it looks like a duck that will be the goal.

Fortunately, I do have the pattern picture to reference, and believe me on just the bit of stitching I've done so far, I definitely refer to the picture. And I have to say that so far, my stitching is really sloppy, but I am soldiering on. I have to believe I will improve as I go, and the little bits of beginning stitches will be lost when viewing the quilt as a whole. I hope.

Wish me luck! I will NOT be daunted by these flaws!

Please join me and other hand quilters over at Kathy's Quilts as we join into her Slow Sunday Stitching party.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

My Projects for Florida

As you know if you follow regularly, DH and I are spending the month in Florida. I could just not bear the thought of facing a month without sewing, so I put together a collection of hand projects that would be doable for me while on the road - from the passenger seat while in the car, from hotel rooms, and from the comfort of homes in which we'll be staying.

Hey, a quilter's gotta' do what a quilter's gotta' do, ya' know!?

I forced myself to limit the projects to what would fit in this collapsible tote. Of course, items that stuck out the top didn't count, so this mess is what made the cut.

It looks somewhat neater turned the other direction.

I've shared previously the cross stitch baby quilt I am working on for my niece's upcoming new addition. I worked on this just a bit on the drive down. That's why this is sorta' stuffed into the top of the tote.

My Lake Effect Quilt came along for the trip. This post is from about a year ago, so my progress moves at a snail's pace. All that applique still needs some finishing touches, and then, should I get that done, I can continue working to attach all the panels to the hexies. Those are folded into that see-through Missouri Star bag underneath.

And, if those two projects bore me, I have fabric and supplies for making EPP flowers. I even thought to bring a small iron and hot pad for pressing fabric.

So, I am set for a variety of hand work - cross stitch, applique or EPP. If I discipline myself (i.e. put the phone down), I can work on any of these while visiting with our hosts, sitting quietly in the evenings, or soaking up some Florida sunshine.

We arrived at my brother- and sister-in-law's last evening after dark, so we've spent today visiting with them and acquainting ourselves with the surroundings. We will be here about 10 days, then move on to see more of the state.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Happy New Slow Sunday Stitching!

For the first Slow Sunday Stitching of 2022, I am sharing a new project I am going to tackle over the next few weeks. A new baby will be joining our family in August - my niece Abby is expecting! 

And just about the same time I heard her news, I was digging around in Grandma's sewing stuff when I came across a cross stitched baby quilt that Grandma had barely begun. It was neatly folded in the box labeled cross stitch. (A more organized person I will never know! I sure wish I'd inherited that trait from her!)

It was not in a hoop, but I found one to use in the box. I also found the pattern complete with picture, directions and floss. Thank you, Grandma! Everything I needed right there at my fingertips. 

These instructions definitely look intimidating. The printing on the chart is so very small and intricately detailed. I've never done any stitching like this before, but I'm gonna' give it a whirl. I shared the idea with Abby on Christmas Day, and she was all in. This would be something from the depths of her great-grandmother's sewing room, and her baby's great-great-grandmother! Special, right?

The quilt looks so sweet, and if I think about each individual element or section rather than the whole, large piece, I think it is entirely doable. Grandma had started on the baby blue elephant in the upper right corner, so I am picking up right where she left off. I did a bit yesterday while watching a very thrilling Rose Bowl - Buckeyes win over Utah!!

 

Grandma made lots of these quilts for her great-grandchildren. We have at least one. This kit is copyright dated 1985, and that is my Erin's birth year. I ought to check to see if she has one or not. Emma was born in '92, so I doubt we have one for her. There are several cousins born in between my girls, so this was likely intended for one of them.

The impending birth gives me a new project for slow stitching as I start this new year. I still plan to work on Lake Effect, of course. A new grand niece or nephew is not my only reason for starting this quilt, however. I have a second excuse for another hand project. This new year finds DH and I endeavoring on a first-ever month-long vacation experience. While we have taken a lot of vacations over the years, never before have we been gone for a month. Florida here we come! To keep my hands busy, I have packed Lake Effect, this baby quilt, and some EPP for variety in the vacation month.

I am linking up with Kathy's Quilts and her weekly linky party. Hope you check out the beauties a few other quilters and stitchers are working on as we embark on this new year.

And since we are leaving tomorrow for Florida, I have a ton more stuff to get done before take-off. I must get busy! No slow stitching this Sunday until the car is loaded up.

Happy Quilting, Friends!