Slow Stitch Sunday

 This has been a busy week for me, but I was able to get some sewing things done.

I hand stitched all 420 inches of binding onto the Quilt of Many Colors . 

This is the best photo I could get of the pieced backing. 

This picture shows a little more of the frugal red gingham binding mentioned in my previous post. I had quite a bit left over, too.

It was too cold to go outside today and I didn’t have an assistant, so here’s the completed quilt on a queen sized bed. I hope to get a better photo with my daughter when she visits and takes the quilt home with her in April.

I started a new cross stitch project, something I didn’t think I would ever do again. But this little primitive pattern makes me think of my Mama, who used to sing this little song to us. 

This is a small project that shouldn’t take too long to complete. The picture of my beginning project shows approximately two hours of stitching.  Does anybody else remember this little Christmas song?

Check out my new bluebird couple. I received the bluebird box for Christmas from our daughter and am excited that we already have a family moving in! 

One more thing: I read this book last week. It was a great unraveling of several families, who were all connected somehow, through a Singer Sewing Factory a long time ago. A really good read if you haven’t read it before.

Linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday. Click on the link to see what others are sewing this week.

Frugal Slow Stitching

 It’s a quilt top! Ready to bind!

I spent all week tying knots. A true labor of love. Really, I enjoyed it! I definitely will do this again for my larger size quilts.

Now for the frugal part. I had figured I needed approximately 1.5 yards fabric for my binding strips. My plan was to go to Hobby Lobby yesterday to buy fabric , but it rained all day and was too cold!

I had purchased this cotton twin sized bed skirt for $1 from a thrift store sometime back, knowing I could use the cotton fabric for something else. And who doesn’t love red gingham?

After cutting it apart,  and if I did my math correctly, I have approximately 2 yards of usable fabric!

Not bad for $1. 

Not my idea, but I had read somewhere to save the thin white part of the bed skirt to use as foundation fabric for string blocks. So, back into the closet that part goes. (My kids will have fun going through my things when I’m gone 🤣🤣🤣)

Surely I could do something with those thin strips! How do you like my new rag ball?  

I’d say I got my dollar’s worth. 

This is all I threw away! The tag!!

So if you like to be frugal (cheap) like me, look for bed skirts with pretty usable fabric. They are cheap and easy to take apart.

Hopefully I’ll get the binding cut and sewn this week, so I’ll be able to share a finished quilt by next Sunday.

I’m linking up with Kathy’s Quilts and Slow Stitching Sunday. Click on the link to see what others are slow stitching this week. Thanks for stopping by!

Slow Stitching

 I’ve been doing something a little different with my slow stitching this week. 

I am hand tying this king sized quilt!

Knot after knot after knot!   Call me crazy, but I am enjoying every minute of it. 

 (I guess that's the point of having a hobby, right?  But it's not always the case when trying to wrangle a huge piece)

Trying to keep this quilt as scrappy as possible, (using what I already have), I started out tying with a leftover collection of Sulky quilting thread.  Once I ran out of that, I switched  to tying with embroidery floss. 

You guessed it, I like the look of the thicker floss much better.  So I'll be going back and retying (or reinforcing) the first threads.  

I like the fact that it's spread out on my dining room table and it's easy to stop and put in a few knots at anytime of the day.  I'm not stuck in the sewing room all day.

I may still put it on the sewing machine for a few quilting lines, once it's all tied.  But not too many!

I haven't put in that many hand stitches on the Noah quilt this week, but I've done a few, just to keep the finger callous strong. I finished two lions this week!

I'm linking up with Kathy's Slow Stitching to share what others are slow stitching this week.  Click on the link to see lots of pretties!

Slow Stitching

I'm trying to retrain myself to hand quilt.  I hope to discipline myself to put in a row of stitches daily, so I can keep my finger callous.  It sure gets sore with each restart.

However, I find that I no longer "quilt" the way I did when I was younger.  I used to load several stitches on my needle at one time and then pull the needle through.  I find it easier to do one stitch at a time these days, which seems to be easier on my underneath finger.  I do use a metal sticky dot thimble, but do need to feel the needle on my skin when it comes through the fabric.  

This is a vintage Noah's Ark panel that I am working on.  It'll be a baby size quilt.  I love the "Rules for the Ark" listed in one of the blocks.  

New to me, is this Ulmer Quilting Frame.  It fits perfectly in my little open spot by the window and fireplace.  I had seen a couple of these frames owned by other bloggers and just knew it would be the easiest one for me to use and still be pretty enough to leave it set up in the living room.  So far, I absolutely love it.  ( I found it on ebay, not having to pay full purchase price for a new one.)

I'm linking up to Kathy's Quilts for Sunday Slow Stitching, where you can go and see what others are hand stitching.  I really enjoy seeing what others are making.

Machine stitching:

I finished up all the blocks for my daughter's quilt.  We are calling it her Quilt of Many Colors as we love Dolly Parton and her  movie about her little patchwork coat. 

I have trimmed the blocks and hope to arrange 

and sew them together this week.   

Stay tuned...…. I hope everyone is doing well.

Happy New Year (2020 in reveiw)

It's been a long time, but I'm still alive and well.  

A few pics for my very quick review of 2020.  (in no certain order)

A little hand stitching here and there.  My first attempt at EPP with hexagons.  I'm now an EPP fan!

Vintage potholder embroidery.

Six more blocks like these, and I'll have enough to complete the king size quilt top that my daughter requested.

I completed this king size quilt requested by my son this year.  It's warm and cozy and that's all that matters.  And that it was made with love.  

I swore I'd never try another one that large, but then our daughter said " I want one for my bed, too."  LOL

I made a few of these from some vintage looking Halloween fabric.  

I hand pieced and hand quilted this little table runner from my scrap basket.  This was a fun project.

I didn't really love it on the table, so the table runner hangs on the back of my granny chair in the dining room.  

I took this guy to the hospital during the pandemic for an urgent aneurysm repair, that he discovered on his own.  He did well and is as good as new! Edited: this is my 80 year old dad. 

Had a Covid picnic with these kids on the way to pick up the 4th cousin in Asheville.

A little more hand piecing and quilting on small projects.

We said sad goodbyes to this sweet fellow on February 19.

Hand stitched a couple of Kathy Schmitz rabbits for friends.

Matching aprons for the granddaughters.  (no hallmark moments with these...lol.... grandma liked them more thant the girls did)

I caught this fabulous rainbow over our house one day during 2020.  God always keeps His promises.

Easy cross stitching on pre stamped pillow cover.  

Stitched a vintage Christmas piece (pre stamped) that I bought from eBay.  This was a fun piece to do.

Okay, that's it.... I hope to blog more this year so that I can document my year.  

May God continue to bless us all!

Happy New Year!

Linking with Kathy's Quilt Blog for Slow Sunday Stitching. Go here to see what others are hand stitching.

The end of another year 2019

Christmas has come and gone, once again.

And like I've been saying so much lately...

time is flying!

I can't believe we've just had another Christmas.

It makes me think about how I am "redeeming my time"  ( Ephesians 5:16)  No new year's resolutions, but lots to think about for 2020.

We had the pleasure of having all the grandkids here at one time again this year.  I was sad to see them go, but now it's time to get the house in order and start the New Year!

Our grandkids were able to play with other cousins that they rarely see..... lots of fun!

Until next year...

Happy 2020!

Fun Sewing --Senior Angel

I wanted to sew some quilt blocks yesterday, but my back was aching and would not allow me to spend too much time at my sewing machine.

So, instead, I did some hand stitching and made this cute little mat (mug rug) for my new Senior Angel.

Terra, at Terra Garden Blog, posted about being a Senior Angel recently,  It sounded like something I would enjoy doing, so I signed up, and now I am an angel, too.

This program offers a free service for seniors who need or want happy mail.  I think it originated as Chemo Angels,  a service providing encouragement for those undergoing chemotherapy.  As an angel, we send a weekly card and an occasional gift to our person... something just to brighten their day.

If you know of someone who would enjoy these mailbox greetings or if YOU are in need of this service, please click on the link :  Chemo/Senior Angels and sign up.  I signed up a dear homebound friend of mine, who lives alone, has no children, and is dependent on others for most everything.  She has started receiving cards from her Angel and seems to be enjoying the little mailbox treats.  The recipients are not required to return letters/respond to their angel, as many cannot do so.  My friend has crippling arthritis, and cannot hold a pen to write.  However, the  angel service checks in with me monthly, to make sure she is receiving her cards and to see how she is doing.  

https://www.chemoangels.com/

There are plenty of lonesome people out there, and sometimes,  just knowing that someone cares is enough to get through another day. 

Linking up with Kathy and Slow Sunday Stitching.  Hop over to her link and see what others are working on, away from the sewing machine.

Finished !

Yes, I did.... I completed something, once again.

 I struggled with how to fix the large black patch in the upper left corner and ended up adding an applique patch over it.  It does help break up the large area, but I'm not sure I like it. (see below)  I wish I had added another embroidery to that side, but alas, it's done and I'm over it.

It was a fun piece to make, but I'm ready to move on to something else.

September Stitches

Yes, I'm still stitching on my snowmen, but not as quickly as I had planned.  I'ml on track to finish before winter, so that's a good thing.

I tend to spend too much time watching what you all are doing on Instagram and Blogger, when I should  be stitching my own things.  Anyone else guilty?  Instagram really has a hold on me these days... there is just so much pretty there.

Thanks to YouTube, I learned how to do the required stitches for my borders.

I learned the herringbone stitch and the Cretan stitch.  Both were very easy to learn, just not something I had done before.   Don't inspect too closely, because there are a few places where my needle came up on the wrong side of the thread.  

I'm still reading (too much).  I try to go to the local thrift store that sells .10 cent books every week and I'm bringing in more that I'll probably ever read.  But I'm a sucker for books and keep thinking I will be set for winter, should something happen that I can't get out of the house like I want.

I picked up "another" Amish recipe book last week for ten cents and I've enjoyed reading the recipes.  There are a couple I want to try and wanted to share this one, to see if anyone has ever eaten this:

Chicken Pudding!(click to enlarge photo)  This just sounds yummy to me.  For years, I have had a taste for something that I think I ate somewhere a long time ago.  I can never pull it directly to mind, as to what exactly it was that I ate, but this may be similar.  I mean, it's chicken and gravy... it's got to be good, right???  I will let you know! 

 Edited * 

The chicken pudding was "ok".... you definitely need lots of gravy.  My homemade gravy tasted kind of bland.  If I were to make it again, I would buy the gravy mixes from the grocery store, since they have more flavor.  The men liked it, so I guess it was ok.

Still Redworking

I'm still working on the redwork for this little wall hanging.

I'm excited about working on this and hope to start putting it together this coming week.( Even though I still have all those little border stitcheries to trace and stitch.)

I had the house to myself yesterday and it was a lazy Saturday, just perfect for stitching.    I watched youtube video's , as I have finally learned how to watch them from the tv.  

Have any of you ever watched Appalachian Cooking with Brenda?  She is a mountain lady and cooks up some good food in her tiny cluttered kitchen.  She loves cooking and it humbles me to see how happy she is in her little kitchen with one tiny counter   in which to stir up her goodies.  If you want to check her out, here is her link:  Appalachian Cooking with Brenda.

I've been following #stitchingspot  #stitchyspot @ #commonthreadedstitcher on Instagram this week.  People are showing their stitching chairs and I have really enjoyed seeing everyone's favorite place to sew.  Some people really have a nice setup.  This is where I've been stitching this week.  I turned the chair so that I could see tv, and the lamp on my left side is the best position so that I don't get shadows.  My couch is getting too soft and I needed a firmer place to sit.  So far, this has been perfect, until I wear this chair out.  :-))  Wherever I stitch always tends to turn into my little "piggy corner"...  but it's my little world, and I am happy here.

I am linking to Kathy's Quilts for her slow Sunday stitching post.  Check her out to see what others are working on.